Where Have You Been
by Eruaphadriel
Summary: Death. Lies. Loyalty. Love. There is a thin line between love and hate. When George discovers the truth behind a Slytherin secret will he be able to save Alicia and prevent the beginning of a new war? Or will death leave a permanent mark?
1. Chapter 1

This is rather exciting for me. I actually had a huge burst of muse and was able to get the first few chapters of Where Have You Been completed on time. If any of you readers are people who read RW, I truly thank you for coming over to check this new piece out. For everyone else… THANK YOU. I really do appreciate every person who even gives my fic a chance.

Like I said in the past this fic is a bit different from most things I have ever written. It is a mixture of drama, mystery and romance. A triple threat deal! I promise it to be quite different then anything else so please bear with me seeing as the first few chapters might be slow and a tad confusing. Trust me they will all begin to unfold as the mystery reveals itself. So with that said and done I'll be quiet and let you be the judge. PS: Don't forget to let me know what you think via review!!

* * *

_**Where Have You Been?**_

**Chapter 1 **

Some days just seemed to drag on longer then others. Today just happened to be one of those days, and George couldn't help but groan over and over again as people just passed by WWW without a second glance. It was quite unusual considering their business had been up over the last few months, but with the approaching Valentines Day it seemed like more people wanted red roses and less wanted Stink Pellets. It didn't make any sense in his eyes, or Fred's eyes for that matter. Who wanted to be showered in diamonds when they could have a supply of disappearing ink? Brushing his hand along the countertop, George removed a big ball of dust that had snaked its way into the supply of Chewy Quills on the front desk. Normally he would have left it there to add a little ambience to the shop but today he was far too bored. Anything was better then staring at the door for another four hours.

"This is probably the slowest day we have had in the last month." Dropping his forehead down on the table he groaned again drawing the attention of an already frustrated Angelina.

It had been like this for weeks, and frankly Angelina was growing tired of it. Of course she knew how stressed George had been lately but they were all stressed! Why did he get to throw tantrums like a five year old while the rest of them had to pretend they didn't care. "Look George if you are so damn bored call it a day and get out for a bit." She rolled her eyes as her feet carried her down the sliding ladder. "I mean your constant groaning is just giving me a steady headache and I'd much rather pull your end of the shift then listen to you whine for the next few hours."

Quirking a brow at her suggestion, George pushed himself up from the desk. "Are you serious?" Knowing the way Angelina joked he wouldn't have been surprised if she threw a book at his face and laughed uncontrollably.

"Of course I'm serious. Besides Fred is coming back soon and I'd like to have some alone time with him without you pissing and moaning about how bored you are. Do me a favor and just take off for a couple of hours." In her head she silently wished he'd just disappear for the next week but that was like asking Ron to roll around in a barrel of spiders for an hour. " Just go and…" Her eyes suddenly lit up and she eagerly clapped her hands together, "better yet…" Running towards the small desk in the back, Angelina yanked open the top drawer and pulled out a small piece of parchment. "Take this!" Jogging back towards George she extended her hand out and offered him the piece of parchment. "I was supposed to go visit Katie and Lee at their summer house a week ago but couldn't get there. They came home now so their summer house is vacant for the next few days before they lock it up for the fall. They told me to use the portkey ticket and still go up but I'd rather be here with Fred. You should go instead. Take a day or two off and hit up the streets of Austria. I hear they are beautiful" Nodding eagerly she pushed the ticket towards him.

Well that was the last thing he had expected. Taking the ticket from Angelina's hand George was sure to study the look in her eye for a good long minute. "This is legit right?"

Last time he had taken a gift from Angelina he had been thrown in the holding cells at Gringotts until they were able to clear up the small mix up that had been put on the paper. Apparently Angelina thought it would be hilarious to change all the names on his forms to Lord Voldemort. Of course he had been to preoccupied with some girl who was on line to notice the change and when he had handed the papers in the goblins went on a tirade. Angelina had thought it was hilarious, but George had the scratches on his back for weeks to prove how lethal those little buggers could really be.

"Of course its legit. I swear to you on Fred that I was really gonna go visit Katie and Lee." Crossing her index finger over her heart Angelina grinned. "And if for some reason something happens I will take full responsibility for it. In fact if something goes wrong I'll give you a nice satchel of fifty galleons."

The sudden thought of money entering his pocket was enough to satisfy his worries and tightening the ticket in his hand, George began heading towards the staircase to pack a small bag for a few days. Merlin the thought of getting away for a few days was fantastic. "I love you Angie. No matter what anyone else says I swear you are absolutely wonderful."

Pushing open the door to the apartment he faintly heard Angelina yell something along the lines of 'what does everyone else say', but he was already making a straight line towards his closet. Pulling out clothes without much regard to what matched, George summoned his suitcase and flicked his wand so his clothes would start packing for him. The last time he had been out on vacation he had spent three days with the Wizard flu which of course wasn't much fun. While everyone was out having a great time he was stuck taking awful tasting potions and hovering over the toilet for twenty hours. In all it had been a vacation from hell. Hopefully spending some personal time at the Jordan summer house would be a lot better. From what he had heard the bars in Austria were absolutely amazing.

Tossing the last piece of clothing out of his closet, George moved towards the suitcase and slammed the thing shut. Snapping the locks he paused for a moment and scanned his room once before placing his wand back into his pocket and grabbing the handle of the case. The less time he spent in his sodding miserable apartment the more time he could have away from the shop and out on the town. Adjusting his hand around the handle, George bumped into the edge of his night stand and sighed as a few photos fell out from behind one of his old broken picture frames. He really needed to stop shoving pictures into the frame without removing the old ones. From the looks of it only a few pictures had fallen out and quickly tossing the suitcase onto his bed he began picking up the fallen photos from the floor. One contained a smiling Angelina three weeks after Fred had proposed to her. Another was a picture of the five of them from Katie and Lee's wedding. The last picture that had fallen to the floor made him draw in a sharp breath. He wasn't sure what year the picture was taken, by the looks of it he was almost certain it was their seventh year, but that was questionable.

It didn't really matter much when it was taken. All he knew was staring into those hazel eyes brought back those blasted feelings he had tried so hard to forget about. "Five years…" Turning over the photo he let his thumb trace the lipstick kiss she had placed on the back, and for a brief moment her soft laughter filled his head. Everyone said it would be easy to forget the pain, but every time he stumbled upon memories he was thrown back into something he could never forget. She was frozen in a time he couldn't let go of, and George had been circling in his own misery for the last five years.

"Are you leaving?" Jumping in his place, George flickered his gaze towards Angelina who had somehow appeared in the doorway. "What are you looking at?" She shuffled across the room far too fast for him to put the picture away. Instead she took in the same gasp when her own eyes settled on the picture he was holding. "That was Lici's seventeenth birthday party." Her hand managed to find its way to George's shoulder, and she grinned. "Gods she was beautiful."

Shoving the picture in his pocket, George just nodded rapidly before grabbing the suitcase from his bed again. He couldn't go back to that place again. It had taken him so long to dig himself out of that whole, and he'd be damned before he fell face first again. Turning towards Angelina he opened his mouth twice to speak but was still too overwhelmed by the picture. Finally after an elongated pause he just gave a frantic wave goodbye before heading out the door and down the stairs. Somewhere behind him he heard Angelina's concerned screams, but he quickly threw his hand out in front of him and flung open the door. The sun immediately blinded him, and as his mind began to focus in on something else the picture in his pocket became a frozen memory again.

* * *

The trip to the Ministry was less than three minutes and as he stood on line for the Port Key travel agency George couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the picture that was shoved in the pocket of his pants. He knew it would eventually happen. Every time he came across something of hers he acted like this. Fred often consoled him by saying it was one of those normal humanistic traits that he'd just never be able to push aside. George managed to push it aside several times with the help of Firewhiskey. A few glasses of the awful liquor and the past five years became an immediate blur.

"Can I help you?" An elderly voice brought him out of his dreamland and offered him a friendly smile. "I see you have a Port Key ticket…I'll take that sir." Her bony fingers reached out and snatched the ticket from his hand. For some reason he didn't even move, and instead of bidding her a farewell he proceeded to take the new ticket and walk away without bothering to acknowledge her.

In a very un-George like state he took the new ticket and approached another long line of people. One thing he hated about the Ministry was the stupid lines. When things had been chaotic in the past he understood why the lines were there and why so many people bustled around the important building. With the fall of Voldemort and the initial downfall of the Dark Arts he had figured things would have at least settled down a bit. Running his free hand up through his hair George studied the back of the woman's head who was in front of him. Her long flowing brunette hair gave off a brilliant shine and for some reason he longed to reach out and let his fingers run through it. She used to like when he did that. There were many occasions she would pounce on him and sprawl herself out so she'd be comfortable. Without letting him get a word in she would lift his hand to her hair and force him to play with her hair. Merlin how he missed those simplistic moments.

"Excuse me?" Again a voice brought him out of his daze, and George found himself focusing in on the woman in front of him. Normally he would have just said hello but judging from the annoyed look on her face he figured that wouldn't go over very well.

"Yes?"

She didn't bother saying anything to him, but instead made a very obvious gesture towards her hair with her eyes. George followed her gaze and let out a strange gag as he settled on the image of his hand entwined in the woman's hair. "Geez…I'm sorry…really I am. You just don't understand that I -" Before he had a chance to finish apologizing the woman had already turned and made her way to the next available Port Key booth.

Shaking his head George recalled the last time an incident like that had occurred, and almost made himself laugh. It was two years since the mistaken identity, but he could play it back in his head as though it were yesterday. After all it wasn't every day you accidentally kiss your sister-in-laws mother because she happened to have the same color eyes as your former lover. Hermione had been awfully pissed that George had snogged her mother, but he wasn't sure if he could say the same for Mrs. Granger. The woman wouldn't leave him alone for the rest of the night, and from that party on they referred to her as Mrs. Robinson after some muggle movie Katie had forced them to watch.

Chuckling under his breath, which seemed to ease a lot of pent up tension, George spotted the next vacant booth and with his suitcase in hand he shuffled down the row and to the machine. With the constant influx of muggle technology into the wizard world the usage of Port Keys had become so much simpler. All you had to do was obtain the right ticket from the reservation desk and then find one of the empty Port Key machines. Sticking the ticket into the slot it would ask you to place your hand on the screen and prepare for travel. It took about a second or two, but by the time you opened your eyes again you were in the Port Key office of the place you were intending to arrive in. "And to think those dunderheads wanted to rid the world of muggles." Snorting back a laugh George inserted his ticket and pressed his hand against the screen. Closing his eyes he took one last look over his shoulder at London before the world around him blurred and then quickly vanished.

Just as soon as he had closed his eyes he felt himself touch down on solid ground again, and a sigh of relief washed over him. Not fond of traveling, George opened his eyes and glanced around the Austrian Port Key office. To be honest it looked almost identical to the one in London, and shrugging at the boring similarities he steadied the suitcase in his grasp and grabbed the emerging receipt ticket from the dispenser. At the very bottom of the paper he could make out an address, but figured getting outside into better light would solve the forced squinting he was doing. "Excuse me but how do I get out of here?"

A rather tall blonde man pointed towards the door across the room and then continued on his way. George nodded a quick thank you and then made a beeline for the exit. Still convinced that this was some sort of trap Angelina had placed him in, George glanced back over his shoulder half expecting the Austrian Auror unit to come barging through the doors to take him in for some sort of absurd questioning. When the doors to the security office remained closed a satisfied smirk rose to his lips, and he pushed the door open allowing the sweet smell of Austrian air to fill his lungs. "Merlin I needed this." Holding the ticket up towards his eyes again the street address became a thousand times clearer, and he quickly stuck out his wand signaling for travel service.

It took a moment or so before a large brown buggy came speeding into view, and George, used to the luxury of the Knight Bus, cringed at the sight of the rickety old thing. One wheel was practically hanging from its hinge, and the door was merely a brown curtain hanging across a flimsy piece of rope. The driver, a portly man sitting up front, tipped his cap as he pulled to the curb. "Ah Ah a traveler I see. Marvelous Marvelous…" George quirked a brow at the mans odd behavior. Realizing that it was perhaps the only service in the area he sucked up his suspicions and looked down at the address again.

"I need to get to Cobbler which I believe is located in…"

"Der Hierher Hügel… I know this." Motioning for George to get inside the buggy the man began shouting out things before clapping his hands together in the most peculiar fashion.

"I knew Angie didn't come for a reason…the place is cracked." Pushing the curtain aside he found himself staring into the faces of very baffled strangers. "Hi." He pursed his lips together as the lot of them remained quiet. Realizing that that probably weren't English speaking George ran his hand over his face and groaned. "Friendly buggers these blokes are…" The buggy lurched forward, and the vacation he had been waiting for slowly began to take a turn into something he hadn't quite imagined. Especially considering he was going to have to figure out a way of communication without looking like a complete wanker. One thing he absolutely hated about going places was feeling completely out of place. Why in the world would Angelina send him to Austria knowing how much he hated that awkward feeling. "And how didn't I realize they wouldn't speak much English?" Frowning at his own stupidity, George sat back in one of the cushion seats as the buggy began to trek through the green hills of Austria.

Luckily enough he had managed to grab a seat next to a small circular window, and as the buggy bopped around on the streets he was able to take in the lush environment around him. She would have loved it. Doing his best to memorize every single detail George closed his eyes and imagined her sitting there beside him. After five years he promised himself he wouldn't do this anymore, but being in this sort of place seemed to negate those promises. She had loved the outdoors, and she had adored traveling. If only there was a way to go back and change the outcome of things he would have sacrificed his own life to see that hers was taken care of. "Gods I miss you Spinnet…" Rolling his chin deep into his chest he let out an aggravated breath as the buggy came to a lurching halt.

"Ah Ah…English boy…Cobbler for you." The drivers voice carried through the thin walls of the carriage, and George, saying goodbye to the fluent Germans, parted the curtain and stepped out into the sunlight again. "There she is." He pointed to a small cottage that was located at the end of a narrow winding path. "Closest town is ten miles from here, but the people who were here over the summer stored brooms in their backhouse."

Tossing a wave of thanks to the man George took out his wand and summoned a floating charm for his suitcase. Shoving his hands deep within the pockets of his pants, George strolled down the winding path determined to set his mind on something else. It wasn't healthy to harp on the past the way he did, and to be honest he was growing tired of burying himself over and over again. "Its been five years George." He repeated softly to himself. " Five years and you have yet to let it go." Did he want to let it go? That lingering feeling of guilt always sprang up at this exact moment, and as if on cue he placed his hand across his chest and pushed down to try and suppress the pain.

How long was a person supposed to take to grieve for another person? Especially when the person was the very essence of your soul. George had witnessed Alicia's funeral five years ago, and he had even delivered the eulogy when no one else was capable of finding the words to describe her. George could have stood there for hours describing her. He could have built bridges with the words of adoration and love he used to praise her. When he had finished speaking there was not one dry eye in the entire place, and George himself had to do his best to keep his composure. Five years had gone by and those same feelings he had held in that funeral home were the same feelings that coursed through him every time he saw something that reminded him of her. She was his best friend. She was his lover. Alicia had been the world at his fingertips, and he didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to her.

Just like every other good thing in his life she managed to slip through his grasp without ever truly knowing how much he loved her. Course Angelina tried to make him understand that Alicia always knew. She said that Alicia always spoke about the love of soul mates and how difficult it was to actual find the right one. Alicia would drone on for hours about the power of love and the important roll it played in peoples lives. Things, love in particular, happened for a reason, and no matter the outcome one was blessed to know those feelings at all. Angelina swore to him that Alicia had always believed George was her soul mate. George had cried for six days straight after hearing those words leave Angie's lips.

Now he struggled again to believe that anything like that could be true. If someone was your soul mate then why did the world rip them away before they even had a chance to proclaim it. Sure he had told Alicia he loved her before she had left him standing in the streets of Hogsmeade. He had said a lot of things to her on that sodding platform, and not one of them seemed good enough now. If he had known it would be the last time he'd get to hold her, kiss her or stare into her hazel eyes he would have done things differently. He wouldn't have let her walk away.

Coming to the front door of the cottage George turned the handle and let himself into the summer home of Katie and Lee Jordan. Upon Alicia's sudden death there seemed to be a whirlwind of proposals and marriage. Lee and Katie didn't waste a minute, and George found himself standing in as best man for their small secluded wedding. Angelina and Fred, though still deciding on a date, had declared their engagement a few weeks after the Jordan wedding which pushed Ron and Hermione into an early settlement as well. One by one the people who he had seen fall in and out of love began to find those feelings he used to share with Alicia. For a moment he had hated them all and secretly wished for failed relationships. Somewhere in the back of his head he heard Alicia tell him not to be so bitter, and at that he had accepted to be Best Man whenever Fred and Angelina tied the knot.

Dropping his suitcase onto the floor George let himself glance around the place before deciding what to do for the next few days. He had expected to waltz into the place and be surrounded by photos he'd rather not see, and breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed the bare walls. Crossing the room towards the kitchen he pulled open one of the drawers and removed a jumble of papers. With a flicker of luck he most rightly deserved he grinned as he sorted the papers out on the kitchen table. They looked like travel brochures for the area, and figuring his best bet was to rely on the guides George closed his eyes and dug his hand into the messy pile. His fingertips hovered over them for a moment before finally touching down and brushing into one of the corners. "Bingo." Pulling the winning brochure into his hand he almost groaned at the sight. "A museum!" Glaring at his hand he shook his head as if utterly disappointed. "of all things you could have chosen you chose the museum! I'm ashamed."

Knowing he could reach back into the pile and do it again George quickly shuffled the papers together and placed them back into the kitchen drawer. It was already settled. Tomorrow morning he was going to wake up early and head into the town to check out the museum. Besides it was about time he was infused with a little more culture. Glancing over at the clock on the wall he practically laughed as the blasted muggle contraption read seven. It was only seven at night and he was going to turn in for bed. Merlin he really needed to start getting out more. Heading back to the first room to pick up his suitcase George paused in his steps and shook the odd feeling that had suddenly come over him. Normally he was used to these feelings but something about the rising one was different. Shaking it away and proceeding towards the staircase he mulled over what the hell was going on with him only to decide that he was just stressed like Angie had concluded.

Whatever it was that was making him feel so edgy just needed to go away, and as he found the bedroom and settled in for the night he planned on beating away the odd feelings tomorrow once and for all.

* * *

"Excuse me but could you tell me which way to the Art Museum?" George, still groggy from his early morning rise, stood in the center of Vesper Village.

The town had seemed friendly enough so he had decoded to ask the next person who walked by hoping that they spoke English. To his luck the man at least understood the word museum and pointed off down the main road towards a rather lavish looking building. Nodding a quick thanks in the mans direction, George adjusted his sweatshirt and began the short trek down the cobbled streets towards the museum. Angelina had actually set him off in a decent direction for once. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, and finally for a single moment he could enjoy himself without the pending thought of work or worry. A vacation like this was much needed, and George inhaled the sweet scent of morning just to reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming.

Strolling up towards the large front entrance George found himself pausing for a moment just to take in the massive building. Yesterday he had practically cursed himself for choosing this place for his first visit. Now as he stood outside the old building he was glad that this was his first stop. Something about history and art drew him back to a time that he used to adore. A time when she had been alive. Stepping in through the doors he dropped off his donation of money before proceeding into the first large chamber of work. There wasn't much to spy on the walls seeing as it was the first area of the museum, but directly to the left looked to be the less populated area. Crowded spots always drove him crazy and so he found himself moving across the room towards the East Wing.

The massive paintings on the wall reached out to him in such various ways that he couldn't help but grin at the beauty they held. Sometimes he truly forgot how much he loved art. Art. Alicia had loved art. Even when they were eleven and in their first year she had known so much about paintings and sculptures. Alicia would have loved a place like this. His eyes roamed carelessly across the hall and he grinned at the Donetta Torrelli masterpiece that hung above the main doorway. Lowering his eyes to a small group of people entering the room, George found himself instantly drawn to a young girl standing outside the men's room. Merlin how often he saw Alicia in such random places. It didn't matter how many years it had been since she had gone because regardless of time passed he still saw her figure everywhere. It was like a disease he just couldn't shake, and he tilted his head as the bathroom door opened and a little boy ran quickly to the woman's side.

Something wasn't right.

The way she reached out and took the boys hand sent an eerie chill soaring through his veins, and he watched closely as she walked from one end of the corridor to the other. There was an all too familiar swivel in her hips, and a twinge of recognition the way she tossed her hair over her shoulder. Alicia had those same gestures. His heart stopped beating. It _was_ Alicia. But it couldn't be! Alicia had died five years ago when the Death Eaters had ransacked her home. Yet the way she moved was a replica of the Alicia he knew so well, and suddenly a violent wave of sickness washed over him. Was he going mental? Or had she gone into hiding when the Death Eaters attacked her home? Perhaps she never perished in the house and the woman before him truly was the girl he had dreams of every night. It was possible wasn't it? No! Alicia was dead and the girl in the museum was a fevered wish from his imagination. If she had been alive all this time she would have surely contacted someone!

Yet in the back of his head he felt that it was her, and suddenly the emotions possessed him and whether or not it was her was blurred by the hope coursing through him. If it truly was her what had she been doing for five years? The thoughts began to control him, and he repressed the urge to scream her name. The rows of statues that lined the corridor became a blur as his eyes focused in on a figure he had last seen drift down a road almost five years ago. Her hand was still latched onto the hand of a tiny boy and even from the distance he was at he could tell that she was teaching him about the different sculptures in museum. Could he even find the strength to speak to her? Was it her? After all he had witnessed her disappear from his life and had never received an owl after almost five years of believing she was dead. It didn't matter. He had to speak to her. How could he possibly pass up an opportunity like this when it was practically begging him to take an initiative? He'd be a complete fool to just turn his back and pretend he never saw her. George Weasley was no fool.

Finally finding the courage somewhere deep within the pit of his stomach George took a breath and began the short trek across the corridor towards the skinny looking brunette. Her once long and flowing locks had been chopped to the shoulder giving her a much more mature look to her very childish face. Though that wasn't her fault. She had always looked younger than half the students in their year, and George had found that one of her more endearing qualities. Approaching her side he remained quiet for a moment while he took in the conversation she was having with the little boy.

"But whys it missin' 'is nose?" The freckled face boy turned his inquisitive eyes towards her which only made her smile.

"Now James what did I tell you about the sculpture before this one?" Her voice was soft and calm just the way George had recalled it. For a second it felt like she had never left his side.

"Cause they're old. Right Mommy…" When she nodded the young boy, rather pleased he had answered the question himself, puffed out his chest in an all to familiar fashion.

George quirked a brow. Mommy? Studying the features on the woman's face again he shook his head. It couldn't be her! If she truly had lived through the Death Eater attack there was no way she would have passed up her passion for Quidditch to raise a family. She had her life planned out since she was in her first year, and to settle down wasn't her style. No he had to be wrong. His eyes were just playing tricks on him all along. The woman before him was a stranger who he had mistaken for someone else. Closing his eyes and placing his hand over his face George let out a sigh but was cut off as someone bumped into his shoulder.

"Oh! I'm sorry…" The soft voice, her voice, filled his ears again, but thoroughly convinced that it wasn't her this time he opened his eyes and smiled at the girl. From head to toe it looked like her, and he disregarded it knowing that there was no way the woman standing before his eyes could be her. Hell, if it was she would have surely recognized him by now.

"Its ok…no problem at all." His eyes flickered towards the woman's son, and for a second he fixed his eyes on the freckles that sprinkled the bridge of the boys nose. " It was my fault anyway. I was standing in the…" Somewhere his words trailed off when he brought his eyes back up to meet hers again. There in the same exact spot on the left side of her chin was that scar he had pointed out in their seventh year. His legs began to waver beneath him, and quickly he steadied himself against one of the nearby benches. His mouth, which he was so used to running at a mile a minute, became dry and at a loss for words. Only one thing was able to pass through them, and in the pit of his stomach he hoped the answer he received was the one he wanted. "Alicia?"

The woman cocked a brow, which he had taken as a good sign, but that sign was lost as she flashed a genuine smile and held out her hand. "Yes…Yes I am. Alicia Warrington…do I know you?" Her hand remained out in front of her while she waited for him to grasp it.

George's jaw went slack. Warrington? Did she just say Warrington? Somehow in the midst of his confusion he reached out and took her hand gently in his. He didn't know whether to kiss it, hug her, or just shake it so he just continued to let it hang there in front of him. The girl, who he still didn't believe was Alicia, blushed slightly and retracted her hand from his. It was a rather uncomfortable sight, and Alicia, uncertain of what was going on glanced down at her son and merely shrugged. The boy giggled a bit and stuck his own hand in the air imitating his mother.

"Hi!" He yelled rather loudly which was enough to knock George back into reality.

Removing his eyes from the scar on her chin, George glanced down at the sandy haired young boy and slowly took his hand. "Hello." If anyone else had been watching this interaction they'd surely think George was mental. The trouble was he couldn't decipher whether or not this was really happening to him. Had he slipped into some alternate reality where Alicia was alive? Worse, had he slipped into an alternate reality where she had married Slytherin scum? Shuddering a bit, George steadied himself and focused on the young boy again. "What's your name?"

Looking up towards his mother with a goofy expression on his face, James let out another childish laugh. "He doesn't know my name Mommy…" Finding this rather amusing the boy grabbed his stomach and giggled again.

"James Arthur Warrington!" Leaning down to the boys level, Alicia took the boys hands and turned him so he was fully facing her. "That was very very rude! Not everyone in the world is going to know who you are sweetheart. People know your name here because you live here. Now I want you to turn to this nice man and apologize." Her eyes were soft but stern, and the boy groaned softly at his mothers request.

George stood there with a semi smirk curled on his lips, and when the boy turned and apologized he simply leaned down and extended his hand again. "You are forgiven, young sir."

"Mommy I'ma go sit." James pointed to the bench George was leaning on and Alicia nodded in approval.

George was still dumbstruck. Why the hell didn't she recognize him? Where had she been? There were a million questions he wanted to ask her, but they all seemed to be nullified as the most important one lingered on the tip of his tongue. How had she escaped the Death Eaters? Her house had been turned inside out when The Order went to retrieve the bodies. His father told him that they wouldn't allow anyone who remotely knew the Spinnets inside because the display was that horrific. How did she escape, and why was she pretending like she didn't know him. And most of all how the hell did she end up married to Warrington? Unless of course it was a different Warrington all together which would save a lot of his questioning.

"So you know my husband Cassius then?"

George groaned. Ding Ding Ding. He had a winner. How the hell did she end up with that Slytherin bastard? Granted there was that brief moment in their seventh year when Warrington had tricked her into dating, but he had left her heart scarred. After everything he had done to her she went and married him? The last time Alicia ever spoke Warrington's name it was out of pure hatred and absolute anger. George had been there the entire time, and he had been there to pick up the pieces when he had ripped her apart. Now she was married to him? Where was the sense in that?

"Alicia…it's me." Holding out his arms as if waiting for her to stop joking around, George grinned. Alicia didn't crack a smile. " Alicia, don't you remember me?" His voice wavered slightly, and the sudden happiness he had felt when he saw her was beginning to be replaced by anger. Why was she looking at him like that, and why wasn't she telling him anything? "Alicia." This time he spoke her name in a monotone manner, and when she quirked a brow he snapped. "Alicia, this isn't remotely funny. Where the hell have you been? We thought you were dead."

Suddenly disturbed by her surroundings Alicia moved around George and reached out to take James by the hand. "I'm sorry I have no idea what your talking about. I've lived her my whole life, and I'm sorry if I don't recognize you…I meet many people throughout the year. My husbands a diplomat for the Austrian Ministry." Leaning over she scooped James up in her arms and began backing away. "I think you may have me mistaken for a different Alicia. I'm terribly sorry, sir." Though an odd feeling of déjà vu suddenly enveloped around her, and she paused in her steps. She knew everyone in this small town, and there was no reason at all why she should feel so strongly for a stranger. A stranger. That's all he was. A tourist visiting the area before the winter washed in with the cold. "I'm sorry we can't stay to chat any further. James needs his nap…"

"No I don't!" He piped up.

Her eyes focused on James and the boy settled back down. " James needs his nap and I have errands to run before the nightfall. It was lovely to meet you Mr…I'm sorry I didn't get your name." Again that feeling weighed down on her and she shook it away before it gave her the creeps.

"George." Was all he replied with before wiping his hand across his mouth.

"Lovely to meet you George, but we must be off. Enjoy your visit to Austria." She called back over her shoulder, but she was already out of the wing before he had a chance to answer her.

With his eyes still fixated on the door, George slapped himself lightly across the face. "What the hell just happened?" Not bothering to waste a minute of his time he spun on his heel and headed for the opposite exit. He needed to get back to the house and owl everyone back in London. He needed to set things straight. He needed to talk to Angelina about the papers the Ministry filed then night Alicia was 'killed'. He needed to owl Warrington. He needed to talk to Fred. He needed to see her again. He needed to figure out why she didn't know him. He needed to feel alive again because without her in his life he had been nothing more than dead himself.

Running at warp speed towards the house, George didn't even bother to stop and ask for a ride. With the adrenaline rush he was on it only took a matter of ten minutes before he was storming through the front door and dashing towards the kitchen. Out of breath and still completely perplexed by the days events, George pulled open the cabinet drawer and grabbed the first piece of parchment he saw. Something was scribbled at the top of it but he crossed it out with the spare quill he found pressed up against the drawer front. He scribbled down everything he could remember not really caring if it made any sense. He was sure they'd figure it out. Katie was intelligent. She'd figure out his stream of babbling.

_This probably wont make much sense but I'm not even sure how to make it sound believable. Alicia is alive. Here in Austria! I have no idea how Katie and Lee missed seeing her. She was right there. The painting. I saw her in the museum with a kid. Her son! Alicia has a son! It was her. I know it and you have to find out what happened at her house when the Order went in to check out the scene. She's married to Warrington and she's here. She's mental. _

_George_

Folding up the letter he scribbled the address on the outside and quickly moved from the kitchen out into the backyard. He knew Lee had an outdoor owl that roamed around because the bloke spoke nonstop about how brilliant the dumb bird was in every sodding letter. Sure enough as soon as the backdoor opened a large tawny owl flew down from one of the branches and perched itself on the little stand next to the door. Maybe Lee was right about the bird after all. Attaching the letter to the owls leg, George instructed in on where to go and let out a deep sigh as it drifted up into the air and disappeared behind the clouds. They'd receive the owl by tomorrow morning the latest, and when they did he'd be waiting at the house for their arrival. Alicia was alive. _His_ Ali was alive. Now all he needed to do was figure out where the hell she had been for the last five years.


	2. Chapter 2

HI Everyone! First off I want to thank you all so much for the reviews. I truly appreciate it. Especially cause you guys are the first five and I always give a big hug and thanks to those who kick off the excitement for me. The more feedback I get the more confident I feel about my work. So thanks to: **FishTowers, Born Mischievous, Sofia666, Lady Mione **and **Eunice**.

Thanks for checking out my fic, and I hope you enjoy this next installment.

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**Chapter 2**

Normally Alicia never found herself in such a frazzled state before. Upon leaving the museum she had taken James out to the ice cream parlor and then forced the young boy to get his haircut. She needed a distraction. Ever since bumping into the man at the museum she had felt wretched about something and she just couldn't shake it. What was making her feel so awful, and why was she trying her hardest to avoid thinking about it. James was even growing suspicious of her actions but decided to take advantage of her weakened state and asked for a new toy from the toy shop. Wanting nothing more then to please her son after such an odd exchange she took him without question. The toy had kept the young boy distracted for a little while, and soon Alicia found herself forcing him to eat something just to keep him from asking any more questions. Something had gotten into her, and she was having the hardest time sorting it out.

"Mommy can we go 'ome now?" James looked up from his sandwich and pointed towards the sky. "The moons out. "

Alicia broke from her train of thought and turned her attention towards her sons extended finger. Had she really kept him out all day? The setting sun was slowly replaced by the moon and Alicia sighed at her stupidity. Cassius was going to be livid that she didn't arrive home for dinner. What was worse was trying to figure out exactly what she was going to tell him as her reasons for staying out so late. She was certain her husband wouldn't want to know that she had been obsessing over another strange man she had met for barely five minutes. She loved Cassius and wouldn't dare want to scar his heart in any way. As much as she hated lying she decided it was the only way to keep peace within the house.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. Come on…grab your toy and lets go home." She grinned as James took the bag of muggle magic tricks into his hand and scampered over towards her. Sometimes he was just far too adorable.

" Mmkay I'm ready." He smiled his toothy grin and proceeded to drag her towards the exit.

Luckily enough with her reputation she was able to nab a transport buggy back to the estate in a matter of seconds. Anything was better then walking a tired five year old home for a good two miles. When the rickety brown buggy appeared in front of her she offered a quiet hello to the elderly man driving. She didn't have to say where they needed to go because most everyone knew who she was and where she lived. It was one of the small perks that came with Cassius when she had married him. Suddenly she had been thrust into a world that was so warm and welcoming to the new wife of the Austrian Diplomat. It seemed like she had belonged to a place like this forever, and she had accepted the invitations with open arms. Now just as much as Cassius was important to the small area they were in, Alicia had developed quite a name for herself as well. Most of the local shops were renovated and cleaned up thanks to the money she invested in the town. Many children of less fortunate families were able to afford books seeing as she started an education fund for children heading to Durmstrang. Perhaps most important was the way she treated people as equals disregarding the fact that she had quite a lot of money to toss around. Well maybe not her money but Cassius' at least. He seemed to think the things she did for the town were galleons well spent and urged her to continue doing whatever would make her happy. Helping needy people out made her happy most.

As the buggy came to a halt at the front of the Warrington estate, Alicia felt around in her pocket for a few extra galleons to give the driver. Making sure that the people in town were supported always made her sleep easier at night. When the man took the galleons with a large smile, Alicia simply grinned right back and helped James out of the small buggy. Her son, a very friendly boy, waved exuberantly at the elderly man as he rode off into the setting sun. "Come on James." Alicia took the small hand in hers and began the walk up the long staircase to the front door. Judging from the dimly lit windows most of the service had gone home for the evening which also meant Cassius was probably busy setting up schedules for the following day of work. She silently hoped he had a decent day so that his sometimes flaring temper was kept down to a minimum.

Pushing the front door open, Alicia ushered James inside and grinned as he instantly began calling for his father. When the small boy received no answer Alicia patted the boys head and gestured towards the staircase. " Maybe he is up in his study sweetheart. If he is he won't be able to hear you unless you go up there and surprise him. " The boy grinned and without another word from his mother he took off up the stairs towards his fathers study. " I'll come up to tuck you in soon James. I want you to say hello to Daddy and then go change into your nightclothes. " Shaking her head as the little brown head disappeared around the corner, Alicia headed towards the kitchen to make herself a quick cup of coffee.

Merlin did she need something to soothe her nerves. The encounter, still weighing heavily on her mind, had taken away her usual comfort levels and replaced it with a strange uneasiness. Yet it still didn't make sense to her. She had figured mulling over it all day would offer some sort of reasoning as to why she was obsessed with this stranger, but nothing had made itself present. Instead she had been zoned out and had the strangest feeling of déjà vu.

Stepping into the wide kitchen space she moved towards the cupboard and pushed herself up on her toes. Her fingers had barely wrapped around the handle when the door to the kitchen swung open and a bold voice followed.

"Alicia?"

Instantly caught off her guard, Alicia made a meager attempt to grab the falling mug and sighed as it came crashing down around her feet. "Shit." Running her hand across her face, Alicia turned to confront her friend Daphne Greengrass who stood smirking in the kitchen doorframe.

" I didn't mean to startle you. Merlin Alicia you look like you've seen a ghost." Removing her wand from her pocket Daphne waved it towards the mess and the shattered glass was repaired within seconds. "Where were you all day? Cassius has been worried sick."

A lifeless sigh escaped Alicia's lips, and she wrapped her fingers around the fixed mug as a way to distract her from what she had been feeling. After all what was she supposed to tell Daphne? It didn't exactly sound sane that her mind had been focused on a complete stranger all day. " We just lost track of time. I took James to the museum and then around town for the day. I hadn't even realized what time it was until the sun started going down."

Daphne frowned. "Nice try, but I ran into James in the corridor and after he tried to make my ring disappear with those silly muggle magic tricks he told me you were in the cafe for, in his terms, a thousandmillion hours." She quirked a brow, "So what caused you to go mental for a thousandmillion hours? Don't try and beat around the cauldron either Alicia…just tell me." A grin found its way to her friends face. It was one thing to try and pull one over the other people that came through the house, but Daphne had learned Alicia's quirks like they were the back of her very own hand.

Alicia glared at her redheaded friend and shook her head. "You weaseled information out of a five year old...real nice Daph. "

"Hey I'm only looking out for your best interest…and don't make it sound like he's such an angel. The boy nearly burned my ring off my finger. Besides Marcus went away on business again so I'm incredibly bored. I need something to focus on besides my own boring life." Turning away from Alicia she grabbed a pot and muttered a simple spell turning the empty container into an instant pot of coffee.

"That's complete laziness you know." Shaking her head at her friends attempt to make coffee Alicia gave in and had the girl pour her a cup.

Not sure whether or not to divulge the days incidents to her best friend, Alicia grew silent as she sipped at the piping hot liquid. Daphne had become a close friend ever since the accident she had five years ago. After all it wasn't everyday that someone was willing to help nurse a person back to health after an almost fatal incident. Alicia had quickly learned that her relationship with Daphne had always been a strong and faithful one, and the healthier she got the more she realized what a fantastic friend she truly had. Which was why she had to tell her. The guilt of keeping secrets was far too much.

"Daph...the weirdest thing happened to me today." Dropping her eyes towards the floor Alicia sighed.

" I knew it! Tell me!" the excited expression now present on Daphne's face caused Alicia to chuckle. How could she have ever kept something so silly from her best friend?

" It was the strangest thing..." Alicia started, flicking the rim of her coffee mug with her index finger. " I took James to the museum just like any other normal Friday afternoon. Everything was absolutely normal until I accidentally ran into this man." Shooting her friend a look when the girl laughed, Alicia continued. " Anyway I apologized and without even getting a chance to say anything else he already knew my name. I of course thought he knew Cassius somehow but when he insisted he didn't and kept harping on how I should know him I got the most eerie feeling."

Daphne's voice hitched slightly. " Oh ... Oh really? That is strange." Shifting her gaze towards the kitchen door she stammered out a few more words. " Was he at least attractive looking?" She let out a forced giggle.

Alicia, not aware of her friends sudden change in mood, shrugged. " he was rather handsome. Sorta tall with a creamy skin tone. Beautiful blue eyes that complimented his reddish brown hair." She blushed, " just don't tell Cassius I said all this."

Daphne shook her head insinuating that Alicia need not worry. " please...if Marcus saw all the ogling I did when he was out of town he would never go out on business again. Its perfectly normal to think another man is attractive." Though in the pit of her stomach Daphne felt a twinge of worry.

"It was more then that." Alicia spoke barely above a whisper in fear her husband would be through the door any moment. "It was like I knew him my whole life but I couldn't put my finger on it!" Running her free hand over her face again, Alicia let out a long frustrated sigh. The more she thought about the things she was feeling the more insane she felt. Now with the way Daphne was staring at her Alicia was certain she had gone mental. " I know…I know…you don't have to look at me like I have a thousand heads. Believe me I already feel like a dunderhead."

Grazing her teeth along her bottom lip Daphne shook her head and reached out towards her friend. Her hand brushed lightly against Alicia's, and she offered a genuine smile. "Ali there is nothing weird about what you are feeling. I get those odd vibes all the time. I think you just had a long day, and your mind started playing tricks on you since the bloke knew your name. Things like that happen, but its not reason to fret over it. Now…" Shifting from one foot to another, Daphne brought her hand under Alicia's armpit and helped her slide off the stool she was sitting on. "Why don't you head upstairs and take a cold shower or something. It will help you relax." Raising her eyebrows to show her seriousness, Alicia began moving towards the door upon the request of her friend.

"But…but what if I'm not just imagining things? What if I didn't have a long day?" Alicia's hand pressed against the swinging kitchen door as she glanced over her shoulder.

"I think you need to go to sleep before you really start thinking kooky things." Chuckling softly to herself, Daphne ushered her out the door. "Now go!" Watching Alicia's retreating back, Daphne let out a nervous breath as soon as she was out of earshot. How the hell had this happen?

There was no possible way George Weasley had managed to find her here after all these years. He thought she was dead! Everyone thought Alicia was dead. Daphne had attended the funeral in disguise back in London just to be sure that everything was going according to plan. There had been no room for error when she had helped Cassius hatch his plan, and now her best friend had somehow managed a run-in with the past. What was she going to do? What was she going to tell Cassius? It had taken a solid year for him to work out every piece of the plan, and to find that his perfect life was suddenly hanging on thin thread was going to send him into a tizzy. Daphne groaned. It was one thing manipulating her own husband, but it was another trying to reassure Cassius Warrington. When it came to Alicia the man was blinded, and she was almost afraid of the lengths he would go to protect her. Hell he had gone to extreme lengths in the past.

Waiting a few more moments to ensure Alicia was safely in the shower, Daphne bolted up the long staircase and made a quick turn down the right corridor towards his study. By now he had put James to bed and was probably back reviewing his papers for the following day of business. It wasn't Cassius' nature to spare a single moment if he had it. Merlin the bloke was a workhorse sometimes. Picking up her pace she ran by the master bedroom and grinned when she saw the door closed with the lights on. Alicia was still in the shower. With the way that girl bathed Daphne knew she had at least a half hour to tell Cassius everything that Alicia had spilled.

Coming to a halt outside the study Daphne paused for a beat before letting herself into the study without even a knock. By now Cassius was used to these invasions considering James did it all the time. Still he looked rather perturbed when he glanced up from his papers only to be greeted with the pale freckled face of his best friends wife.

"What do you want Daphne? I thought you went home over a hour ago?" Placing his quill down on the desk, Cassius stifled a yawn that had snuck to his lips.

"We need to talk…its serious."

Pushing a few strands of dark hair away from his eyes, Cassius tried to withhold himself from laughing. "You know every time you come in here its something serious. What is it now? Get an odd feeling in your stomach about Marcus?" Leaning back into his expensive leather chair, Cassius shook his head. "I told you a thousand times Daph…Flint is obsessed with you. The idiot would never dare sacrifice losing you to some bimbo he meets in some foreign country. You really need to stop -"

"I think Alicia ran into Weasley." She hadn't meant for it to come out so bluntly, but sometimes it was awfully hard to get Cassius to shut up. If she didn't blurt it out she wasn't sure how much longer the poor sap would drone on for.

"What?" His voice had gone lifeless, and the leisurely attitude he had just settled into was suddenly gone. "What are you talking about?"

There was a desperation in his voice, and suddenly Daphne felt utterly guilty about breaking it to him so harshly. "I'm sorry…" She started in a hurried soft whisper. "I didn't mean for it to come out so…so cold, but I don't know how much time I have before Alicia is done in the shower." Reaching for one of the empty chairs, Daphne moved it closer to his desk and sat. Cassius, however, remained motionless. "I was just with her downstairs and she began rambling on about this weird encounter she had at the museum. I let her ramble on about it and when she was done I sent her to freshen up so I could talk to you. So listen…no interruptions…I don't know how much time I have." Taking a breath she briefly glanced into the horrified eyes of the man in front of her before continuing.

"Alicia went to the museum with James today, and she said she accidentally bumped into some man who was standing by her. She made for an apology, but she claimed he already knew her name before she had a chance to say anything. She didn't recognize him, but he swore that she should know him. She thought he knew you, but after a few awkward moments she realized he had no idea what she was talking about. She described him to me and I swear on Merlin… Cassius it was Weasley. There are no other blue eyed redheads that would make her feel so damn strange."

Cassius thought in silence. This couldn't be happening. No! Not when he had been so careful about everything. He had purposely moved to this small town in Austria because of something like this happening. No! Daphne was wrong. It wasn't Weasley at all, and everything was going to go back to the way it had been for the last five years. "How the hell do you even know if your right? It could have really been someone who I met and recognized her from a photo of some sort. Why the hell do you immediately think the worst?" He sneered. "You are just being paranoid, Daphne. Alicia will be fine. I've taken nothing but absolute caution, and there is no possible way I blew it now. " The tone in his voice had risen slightly, and he cleared his throat to mask his sudden anger.

"She had a feeling, Cassius!" Daphne snapped back. "She said she had these weird feelings in the pit of her stomach all afternoon…she said she couldn't shake him from her head." Her voice dropped again. "She didn't remember anything, but what if it is Weasley? What the hell are you going to do Cassius? How the hell are you gonna keep her locked up and hidden after Weasley has laid eyes on her? You shouldn't be so damn passive about this when you know I'm probably right! Damn Cassius…your family could be in danger! Aren't you the least bit concerned? Don't you remember what happened? Don't you remember the reason why you did all this in the first place?"

The stir of emotions that were building up inside of him caused him to slam his fist against the hard oak surface of his desk. "Well what the hell do you want me to do? You want me to go searching through this town for some redheaded strange man who may or may not be Weasley? What are the chances he found her here? What are the chances he came here for some gallivanting? We are in the middle of nowhere, Daph." He threw a glance out the window to their left. "Besides… everyone thinks she's dead. It's not like he found out and traced her here. If I had been so careless with covering my tracks don't you think my family would have figured it out first?"

"Love finds a way, Cassius." Leaning back into her chair, Daphne pointed towards the door. "She loves you Cassius, but there is a part of her that still holds on to some of that past. You can't just whisk everything away with a flick of your wand without some slim possibility that it wont come back. Don't be so damn easy about this. She is your wife…if it really was Weasley….what are you going to do?" Daphne had witnessed a lot of things in her past. Most of the things had been enough to make ones stomach turn, but that was the life of a DeathEaters daughter. Yet there were few things she witnessed that had been able to turn her cold heart into something more. The love Cassius held for Alicia had been one of them.

Cassius' eyes flickered between the two framed pictures on his desk. One had been taken on their wedding day five years ago and the other had been the first photo of James when he was born. Cassius was a hard man to understand. Throughout school he had been labeled deceiving, heartless and cruel. Cassius had been a true Slytherin, and there were moments he looked back upon and wished he had never taken part in. Alicia had never been one of those moments. It had taken him a long time to understand the depth of emotion that Alicia had placed upon him, but when he finally discovered it he couldn't let her go. Glancing between the pictures suddenly reminded him how deeply he felt towards her, and how deeply he felt for James. He would fight for her until his dying breath. "I'll keep her safe, Daph. I have always kept her safe and I always will until the day I die."

Grabbing a piece of blank parchment Cassius picked up his quill again and began writing down something Daphne couldn't quite read. Whatever it was it seemed intense seeing as Cassius' hand was shaking with every quill stroke. When he finished the small note he picked it up and handed it over to her. " What's this?" Quirking a brow she glancing down at the note before returning his gaze.

"Take that down to the PortKey Headquarters and give it to Arnold Van Houstleich. Tell him to pull up the entire days entries and send them back to me before tomorrow night. You need not worry about him asking any questions either. He is quite loyal to me and wouldn't dare try to cross." Pushing himself up from his desk, Cassius stepped around the table and paused at Daphne's side. "Thank you for being a good friend to me Daphne…a good friend to Alicia." His hand clamped down softly on her shoulder. "I'm going to go check on James. You can let yourself out, but I'd use the back so Alicia doesn't grow suspicious that you are still here."

Nodding slightly, Daphne stood from her chair and followed Cassius towards the door. "I just…I just hope that I'm completely wrong about these suspicions. I don't want to see Alicia hurt again…" Growing quiet she slipped through the door as he opened it for her. "I'll bring these as early as I can tomorrow seeing as Marcus will be home before nightfall. I'm sure he'll want to come by when he settles in so I should be seeing you then." Turning on her heel Daphne began backing up towards the back corridor as Cassius turned towards James' bedroom. "Goodnight Cass…"

Lifting his hand to bid her farewell Cassius moved quickly down the corridor towards the young boys room. He had sent James to bed nearly a hours ago, but there was always those few moments he'd go check in and the boy would still be up secretly reading potions books. The boy had developed an odd fascination of concocting absurd things together creating backfiring creations. Nevertheless Cassius encouraged his creative state and often found himself subject to testing his son's finished products. When he approached James' door he placed his ear against the wood and held his breath to listen for any sounds from within. When nothing came to his ear he quietly pushed open the door and stuck his head inside. Curled up in a tiny ball was his son at the very top of his large bed. The image was rather amusing seeing as the boy had plenty of room to sprawl out but remained fixed in the one tiny spot. Cassius choked back a laugh.

Daphne's words had caused a sudden worry inside of him, and now staring at the body of his son only made that worry grow even more. What if Weasley was indeed in the vicinity? Would the man really grasp that it truly was Alicia he had seen, or would he project it off as some sort of disillusion? Cassius felt a nagging pain in the back of his head and cursed silently to himself. This wasn't happening. Hell, it had taken nearly three years for his own parents to even accept the lies he had spun them about Alicia. He had worked so hard to make it all perfect. No one was going to take her away from him. No one was going to ruin what he had found when he had opened his heart to her.

James moved slightly beneath the sheets and Cassius snapped out of the angered visions. He had a son to protect too. He'd be damned before he let something happen to James, and if word began to get out about the past he was certain awful things would happen. Cassius didn't even want to think about it. Instead he crossed the distance and came to the side of the bed closest to his son. Looking down at the small angelic face he couldn't help but grin as he brushed a few strands of brown hair from the boys forehead. "No one is going to find out about you, James." Bending over to plant a kiss on his son, Cassius also readjusted the blankets and tucked him in a bit tighter.

There was too much at stake now, and he was going to see to it that no one ever figure out the things he had pulled. Removing himself from James' room he let his eyes glance down towards the master bedroom and noticed the dim lighting that was now present. Alicia was out of the shower and probably readying herself for bed. Closing the door to the boys room, Cassius moved towards his bedroom and took a breath before letting himself inside. Just as he had suspected Alicia sat with her back towards him while she combed her hair at the vanity he had bought her for her twenty first birthday. With the pale moonlight coming in through the window she looked ethereal sitting there. Cassius felt his voice catch slightly in his throat. Merlin when had he become so infatuated with her?

"I was wondering when you were going to come to bed." She grinned at him while still looking through the mirror. "I missed you terribly today." Spinning on her seat she turned to face him with her patented lopsided Spinnet smile. He used to tease her about it relentlessly when they were in their seventh year, but she never stopped flashing it.

"I had a few things to finish up with before deciding to turn in." His tone was semi flat which was unusual, but the thought of her mind spending so much time on another man had managed to creep back into his head. "How was your day at the museum. James said you two had a grand time…though I think the toys he showed me might have weighed heavily in on his opinion."

Alicia dropped her gaze from her husbands and merely shrugged. "He was rather good at the museum today so I thought I'd reward him. You make it sound like I did something wrong. I can spoil the little bugger if I want. He is my son after all." Bringing her eyes back up to his, Alicia moved from the vanity and approached the enormous bed they shared. "Besides it never bothered you before when I bought him things. Why do you sound so bitter about it today?" She hated when he got like this, and often she'd just go quiet and let him feel like his words were the right ones. It was rare moments like this that usually fueled into larger squabbles. Realizing that it was probably due to stressful work Alicia slid beneath the blankets and dropped her head back on the pillow. Unless of course James had mentioned something about the strange man they ran into. Now that would of course cause Cassius' sarcastic tone.

"I'm not bitter." He started, while peeling his teeshit from his body. "I just don't think it's healthy that the kid get everything he wants." Suddenly feeling as though he was growing too obvious with his concern, Cassius removed his trousers and slid into the bed beside her. "I'm glad you had a good day with him though." Leaning over he planted a small kiss against the side of her mouth.

Once again Alicia chuckled as his mood went from flat to loving. Merlin the man's mood was worse than any woman she had ever known. "We did have a fantastic day…toy and all." Sticking her tongue out playfully she screeched as rolled over and tackled her back against the pillows. His fingers moved slowly at her sides and she screamed for him to stop before he started what she knew was eventually coming. "Don't! Stop!" With that his fingers went furious against her sides and she shrieked in uncontrollable laughter. "I said no!" Squealing again she tried to scramble from beneath him but only managed to pin herself further under his weight.

"You actually said don't stop." He grinned as she realized the misinterpretation of her words. "I'm just doing what you told me." His fingers had worked their way towards her inner thigh and she screamed again. "Shh your going to wake James."

"Your evil!" She pushed up with her arms and wrapped them loosely around his neck. "No more tickling…" Batting her eyelashes ever so seductively, Alicia gave a grin of triumph when he removed his hands and flopped down beside her on their large king size bed. "Hey Cass…" Her head had nuzzled in against his chest, and she delicately placed one hand on top of his.

"Mmm?" His head dropped slightly to the side allowing his semi long dark hair to fall onto his forehead.

Glancing up she noted that his eyes were already closed and he had a very content grin gracing his lips. "I love you…you know that right." She didn't mean for it to come out sounding so pleading, but after the stressful afternoon she had her emotions had been worn thin with worry. " I mean I just want you to know I love you with all my heart…."

"Even my crooked nose…" He joked.

"Even your crooked nose." Kissing the point of his nose that he swore was crooked Alicia leaned back against him and began to let herself drift off into another world. Sleep was already beginning to take over her, and she was thankful that there wasn't any trouble finding a comfort zone. Breathing in deeply she let out a yawn and grinned as she felt her husbands arm pull tighter against her. "Night Cassius."

"Goodnight angel."

* * *

_Dear George, _

_You are mental. _

_Yours truly, _

_Lee_

"There that's nice, blunt and straight to the point." Lee puffed his chest out proudly as he handed the parchment over to Katie. Their was an exchange of odd glances between the rest of them, and it wasn't until Angelina swatted Lee across the back of the head that the man realized he had made a mistake. "What? If I was in George's shoes I would expect you all to be completely honest with me. The poor daft bloke is seeing his dead girlfriend in Austria…and he claims she's married to Warrington!" His eyebrows furrowed in such a way that Fred couldn't help but chuckle at his friends ridiculous actions.

Katie, on the other hand, merely shook her head. "Lee…sweetheart…we know you mean well by being so…curt, but George is in a real sensitive state right now. He's obviously going through something that we just cant understand."

"Let me sound this out for you slowly…WARR-ING-TON." Making overly exaggerated gestures with his arms, Lee glanced between each of them. "Doesn't anyone remember that it was the Warrington family that was suspected in murdering the Spinnets? Or was that just me? Now!" Lee pointed towards the ground. "Now the idiot thinks Alicia's corpse has come back from the dead and married her murderer."

An uncomfortable silence rose between the group of them, and suddenly Lee's rather cruel owl didn't seem so harsh. Yet as Katie held onto the parchment she couldn't bring herself to tying it to the owls leg. Of course they all knew how George exaggerated with his stories, and more often then not they found his imagination constantly running wild. Who was to say that this instance wasn't any different then all those other times? Perhaps sending him away on his own personal vacation wasn't such a good idea. After all the poor bloke was all alone in a foreign town without any reassurance from his family and friends.

"He wouldn't imagine this." Fred's voice broke the silence sending Angelina into a small jump. No one dared speak against his word mostly in fear that Fred would run a fit for anyone speaking against his twin. "It doesn't make sense. I know it doesn't, but I have that feeling. You know which one I'm talking about, right Angelina?" His eyes shot towards his fiancé .

Angelina placed her hand against her chest and slowly nodded her head. She had witnessed the odd connections that Fred shared with George, and more often than not the two of them had these creepy circumstances where they could easily read each others minds. If Fred was claiming that this was what he was feeling than Angelina couldn't dismiss it. Besides why would Fred stick up for this asinine proclamation unless he had a strong feeling that George was being somewhat truthful. Somewhat being the key word replaying in her mind. "He makes a valid point. The two of them share this creepy psychic connection thing…its actually quite disturbing." Shuddering, Angelina made a grab for the owl Katie was holding and turned it over to read the words again.

"Look…" Fred propped himself up against the front desk of the shop which had remained closed ever since receiving the letter. "I'm not saying I completely agree with the bloke, but I'm feeling like there must be some truth behind this. Maybe he didn't see Alicia. Maybe he saw Warrington and immediately thought of Alicia. Perhaps he created her image out of past anger towards Warrington. Whatever the case may be I think we should just send him back an owl telling him to stay indoors and catch up on some much needed sleep."

Katie, who had been busy pacing the floor, came to an abrupt halt and slammed into Lee. "Oh sorry…" Turning towards Angelina and Fred she sighed. "I just cant see any of this as being healthy for him. I mean we were at her funeral! We were there when they lowered it into the ground!"

"But we weren't there when they brought her body out of the house." Lee spoke up, and of course received questioning looks from his friends. "What?"

Angelina felt her jaw go slack, and it took her a moment to actually formulate any sort of words. "Merlins gray beard….Lee's right. No one actually ever saw Alicia's body. Remember when we showed up at the Spinnet home some of the bodies weren't identifiable."

"When did we all go mental?" Katie threw her hands up into the air. "Was it just me or does anyone else recall how destroyed the Spinnet house was? Was I the only one there when Tonks told us we couldn't even go inside for fear we would be scared for life? The Warrington's despised the Spinnets so I highly doubt they got to Alicia and just brushed it off. Could you honestly see William Warrington putting his wand away and gesturing for Alicia to just waltz out of the house? And if he did why the hell has she been in hiding? Why the hell would she have pretended not to know George? And why in the world would she have married Cassius? After all the crap he put her through during school!"

Quirking a brow at his wife's sudden outburst, Lee placed his hand down on Katie's shoulder. " Look Kates we know what your saying. Gods we would all love to actually look at Georgies letter and believe that Alicia was really alive. I mean that small glimmer of hope kind of offers a bit of ease. Course we know Alicia is really dead, but sometimes we can all get so caught up in the emotion that we really do forget that - "

"It plausible." Angelina, who had been sitting behind the front desk suddenly stood. She brought her eyes towards Fred's and smiled briefly in his direction. Why hadn't she thought of something like this before? Angelina cursed silently to herself as the ideas began to formulate in her head. She was usually so quick to think of situations like this, but being blinded by the thought of Alicia's death for five years had managed to blur her sense of thought. "It could be her." She shrugged, and held up her hand before Katie went into a another fit. "Look no one more then me wishes that Alicia was still alive. I miss that girl more each passing day..." Running her hand over her face, Angelina sighed. "But lets for one moment think like Warrington."

Fred, who had been exceedingly quiet, finally opened his mouth. "Bloody hell." As though knowing where Angelina was going he felt his eyes go incredibly wide.

Grinning at her fiancé, Angelina continued. "Now lets say that Alicia had been in that house when the Warringtons attacked. Lets say that Cassius, being the ultimate prat he is, did something to her. Kept her hidden or something. Don't you recall how obsessed he was with her in school?"

"Yeah but he was obsessed with her because he wanted to hurt her." Katie pointed out.

"But he eventually fell in love with her. We all saw it. What if…" Angelina placed her finger against the side of her mouth. " what if the entire thing was a cover so he could claim Alicia for his own. It makes sense."

"Then who's body did The Order find when they went through the Spinnet house?" Lee held his hands up in confusion. "I mean they did find a body didn't they?"

Angelina glanced over at Fred knowing that he'd have the most information on the subject. After all he was semi involved with The Order and his father had informed him of events that had gone over during the Spinnet massacre. "Fred?"

"My dad never told me." Fred let his tongue click against the roof of his mouth. "To be honest…I don't know if they ever found a body. He never mentioned it, and the casket was closed." Suddenly another uneasy feeling settled down upon him. "This is all just too weird. I think George's insanity has begun poisoning us."

Grabbing Katie by the arm, Angelina shook her head furiously back and forth. "Look I don't care how asinine it sounds. Im going to the Ministry archives and I'm getting down to the bottom of this. If a body was found, great, George is crazy and end of story. If there is no proof…well then we have a serious problem."

"Hey!" Katie squealed as Angelina gave a harsh tug on her arm. "Not so hard!"

"And the letter to George?" Lee took the parchment back from Angelina's hand and quirked a brow.

"Just hold on to it until we get back." Without another word Angelina pulled at Katie's arm again and began dragging her outside the shop.

Lee and Fred stood silent in the center of the shop without so much as saying one single thing to each other. For the first time in a long while they were at a complete loss for words.

* * *

So we are just getting a very nice view of the current and rising situation going on between our favorite charries. It is within the next few chapters that things are going to begin picking up. The truth about what happened to Alicia will be revealed!!! Chapter 3 will be up soon. Thanks so much and please review for me!! Let me know what you think/feel about WHYB. Love and cookies to you all. 


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone! Thanks again for your reviews! I love you guys muchly for taking the time to read this. So does anyone have any idea on how this story is gonna go? Think you've solved a bit of it? Eh? Lets move on and check out the next installment!!

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**Chapter 3**

He couldn't focus. While lying in his bed going over the events of the previous day he just couldn't focus. He had suspected that the owl arrived at the shop late last night or early this morning, and he contemplated staying in bed all afternoon until he received word from his friends. Unfortunately his brain was so cluttered with images of Alicia that he couldn't think straight. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her standing there, and every time he thought of that little boy his breathing came short. He needed to see her again. He needed to be certain that it truly was her and not some figment of his imagination, but where was he to look? After all if he was imagining her there wasn't a way he'd find her. In fact he'd just drive himself mad with the visions of his former lover until he was forced to send himself to Mungos.

Staring up at the ceiling, George let out a frustrated sigh and slowly pulled the blankets from his body. The brisk morning air sent a shiver through him, but the harsh awakening was needed to clear his head. The clock on the wall informed him that it was barely nine in the morning, and he mentally cursed himself for rising so early. How much was he supposed to accomplish if he was half asleep all morning?

Deciding to take a much needed cold shower, George moved towards the bathroom and began stripping his nightclothes from his body. If Angelina had told him it would be absolutely frigid this time of year he would have declined the offer. Yet if that had happened he wouldn't find himself staring into the eyes of Alicia. Merlin did he need help. If he continued on like this he was likely to be completely nutters by the end of the trip.

"I need to see her again." He mumbled to himself as the water poured out of the shower head. Stepping inside the white tub he let the stream of cold wash over his face. He needed one last confirmation before confronting Warrington himself. The only trouble was figuring out where to go.

After a quick shower he pulled on the warmest clothes he had brought, and began the few mile trek toward the small town. His eyes flickered furiously between the passing buggies full of people in hopes of catching sight of Alicia once again. Though his efforts were pointless as he reached the town and had yet to see her. Perhaps he was imagining things after all.

The archway of the art museum stuck out like a sore thumb in the small town, and without any better ideas coming to mind he decided to begin his search at the place where it all had initially started. If he was at all lucky he would run into the girl again and this time he wouldn't let her get away so easily. If he was given a second chance he was going to pin her down and demand some answers. If that didn't work he'd follow her back to her place and confront Warrington himself. Whatever happened George was dead set trying to figure out went on five years ago.

Taking a deep breath George moved towards the museum with tentative steps. For some reason the thought of running into her again also terrified him. He wanted to see her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to ask her a million things that were going off inside his head. He paused at the first step. If this wasn't her he'd be crushed again. Perhaps it was a horrible idea all together. Finding out that this indeed was someone else would just open those old wounds he had tried to cover up for so long.

He placed his foot on the second step.

The last time he had seen her alive he had kissed her softly on the lips and promised her that he'd come for her. He had promised her that he wouldn't let her parents hurt her anymore. He was going to go home, gather his things and meet her at Diagon Alley in two days. She was brave. Alicia had always been the bravest girl he knew. After everything she had endured in her life she was willing to face her demons. He wanted to go with her but she wouldn't let him. Still he promised to take her away in two days.

He stepped onto the third step.

Three days had gone by and he had not heard a single word from her. Every owl he had sent her was returned with no answer. He would have apparated to her home, but she had been so discrete on where she lived. There was no way to get in touch with her, and he cursed himself for allowing her to go home alone. It was at that moment George had realized something had gone horribly wrong.

He reached the fourth step.

When his father had returned home that afternoon he had immediately ordered Fred to owl Angelina, Katie and Lee. His father had not dare look him in the eyes. When the group of them arrived Arthur Weasley couldn't even speak. Instead he handed George the parchment declaring Alicia was murdered by a group of DeathEater's that morning.

Halting on the fifth step George let his head fall back. He hadn't even had a chance to protect her. He had promised that he would be there for her and he let her down. The guilt had torn at him for weeks on end. How was he going to survive again if he worked himself up for nothing?

"People just don't come back from the dead." Gazing up the last few steps George proceeded to climb towards the entrance. What was he going to say to her if he did see her again? He had done his best to talk to her yesterday, and she wanted nothing to do with him. If she saw him lingering around the museum maybe she would run. Maybe he wouldn't even get a chance to follow her. With all of these possibilities running madly through his head he hadn't even realized he reached the top of the staircase. Just like yesterday he felt that odd sense of familiarity as he stood beneath the giant arching entranceway. Closing his eyes, George took one last calming breath before pushing forward and entering the large art museum.

It was a Saturday morning so most of the wings seemed relatively empty. There were a few elderly couples mingling with each other throughout the different halls, and George immediately found himself drawn to the smaller room in which he had run into her last time. Staring across at the bathroom he waited to see her image appear out of nowhere. When nothing happened he moved towards the large bench in the middle of the floor and proceeded to take a seat. His eyes roamed freely amongst the different art pieces, and every now and then he'd let them linger on a particular piece. He never let them stay too long focused in case Alicia would happen to walk by.

For every childish laugh he heard he craned his neck in odd positions hoping it was the little boy from yesterday. Each time it turned out to be a little girl or a group of pubescent children roaming the museum pretending to be much older then they really were. There was one instance when a teenage girl had stopped to take a seat beside him and actually tried to offer him her address. When he arched his eye at the proposal the girl sensed his age and with a rising blush ran back to her friends. The day was not turning out at all what he had expected it to be. As the patrons came and went through the hall, George received more and more stares from people. After all he was alone on a bench staring at some stupid painting for hours on end.

"This is ridiculous." His voice was soft and full of painful desperation, but he continued to sit there until the sun had turned its course and began shining through the opposite pane of stained glass. How long had he been sitting on that bench. His stomach rumbled. Judging from the noise that rose from the depths of his stomach he had been sitting there all day without daring to move for food or a bathroom break. His patience was finally growing thin. She wasn't coming. "Of course she isn't coming you idiot. She was here yesterday." Biting down on his lip, George cursed himself for being so stupid. He had been so caught up in the idea that she'd return to the place he bumped into her that he failed to think logically. Who visited museums more than once in the same week?

Running his hands over his face, George dropped his head down to his knees and choked back a groan of frustration. Every fiber of his being wanted to run across the room and break one of the antique statues. He needed an outlet for his anger, and he stomped at the ground if only to get out what little fury he could.

"Excuse me sir…" An elderly woman's voice brought him back out of the fit, and he let his eyes rise to meet hers.

She was rather sweet looking, with short silvery hair pinned back by a hummingbird clip. Her eyes were aged with lines of intelligence, and George immediately felt like he was back at home with the warm welcoming face of his mother. "Yes ma'am." He straightened himself up properly as though she were an important individual, and the woman let a twinkling smile push to her lips.

"Please…relax. I only came by because I noticed you've been sitting here since early this morning." Gesturing towards the empty seat, George nodded, and the woman sat beside him. "My name is Adele. I'm the curator here at the museum. I noticed you sitting here for so long cause I have a good fifty screens in my private room so I can over see things here." The woman reached out and placed her hand lightly against George's knee. For some odd reason he wasn't disturbed by the thought of a stranger being so close to him, and George simply nodded at her words. "What's your name, son?"

With his head still hung low he opened his mouth and spoke barely above a whisper. "George Weasley. I'm visiting from London." Cocking his head to the side, George took in a better glimpse of Adele and couldn't help but smile when he saw her. If ever a person's smile could make light of a moment, Adele's certainly did that to him.

"Now there's the grin I was hoping to come across." Waving a family walking through, Adele turned her attention back to him. "So tell me young sir…why look so lonely and down when sitting here? Merlin boy you've been here nearly seven hours now and I don't think I've seen you so much as go to the bathroom."

"I was supposed to meet someone…well look for someone really. " He mumbled out through the side of his mouth. Gods he was an idiot. The lot of them back at home were surely getting a kick out of his owl. How the hell could he have truly though that Alicia was alive.

"Look boy…I don't mean to pry, but I'm just concerned for your well being...not to mention your creating a sour feeling in this wing of the museum." Rising to her feet, Adele nodded towards the opposite end of the museum. "How bout you come back to my private room and watch the screens with me. Maybe if your lucky you'll stumble on this person your looking for." Chuckling lightly, Adele began moving towards the far right wing before George even had a chance to answer.

Was it even worth going to look at the silly screens when all he was going to see were faces that weren't close to hers?

"Coming Mr. Weasley?"

Turning towards Adele George felt that same defeated guilt rise again but just to appease the kind woman he began moving towards her. "Sorry. It's just been a long morning." Coming up to her side he began following her steps as she led him through the various areas of the museum. Yesterday he hadn't even had a chance to enjoy the sights, and now as he moved through the rooms he took in the sights with baited breath. They were absolutely beautiful. After five minutes of wandering George turned his eyes towards the entranceway Adele was leading him, and assumed that this was the private room she had told him about when she had first introduced herself. Sure enough as soon as he approached the room the name Adele Van Heltz was etched into the wood door.

The private room Adele brought him to was perhaps just as large as the entrance hall of the museum. Paintings and sculptures lined the walls but spared enough room for the massive screens she had earlier described. George, taken back by the complexity of the room, stared at the screens in complete awe. So this was how she had caught sight of him on the bench.

"You were on screen eighteen." She mumbled as though reading his mind.

George's eyes turned to the eighteenth screen and once again he began looking for the short haired brunette. "How do you keep track of them all?" he glanced back over his shoulder towards Adele.

"Last year we had a huge donation that provided us with this." She pointed towards a smaller screen that only showed the numbered areas. "When something strange is going on the charms placed on the room will send a wave to this smaller screen turning the number red. Then of course we can look at the larger model and see for ourselves." She chuckled. "That's how I found you. The poor contraption was convinced you were a thief."

Quirking his brow George shook his head. "I'm no thief...I was just waiting."

"Yes well regardless this thing has quite a bit of advanced magic behind it. It picks up anything out of character for the museum." Turning back to the paperwork on her desk Adele flicked her hand towards the screens. " you can watch for the mystery person your waiting for now."

He took a moment to survey the mess of screens, but found himself oddly amused by Adele and the artifacts around the room. Taking short steps he eyed the framed clippings on the walls and grinned at each of them. Some were filled with historic events such as the opening of certain wings, and others were moments when artists displayed their work for the first time at the museum. Each piece of parchment offered a sense of history, and George suddenly forgot the reason why he had come to the private room in the first place.

"This museum has certainly been refurbished over the last few years." Glancing at the past and present photos of the museum he paused to study one in particular.

"Yes well we received a lot of donations from the Warrington family over the last few years. Mrs. Warrington frequents the museum and has an obsession with art. She likes to spend a couple of extra galleons on exhibitions here. " If she had been looking up Adele would have caught the pale stricken face of George.

"Mrs. Warrington?" He stammered out. "She likes art."

Brining her eyes back up to meet his, Adele nodded as though it were common knowledge of the Warrington contributions. " Alicia comes here nearly every Friday with her son. She loves this place almost as much as I do. Bless that young girls soul." Placing her hand over her heart, Adele sighed. "In fact just last week she donated fifteen hundred galleons to the area we are turning into the children's art wing."

George drew in a sharp breath. "That's awfully generous of her."

"Yes well Alicia...Mrs. Warrington..." She corrected herself, " has always been a selfless person."

"Do you have any photos of her?" Drawing a puzzled expression from Adele George held out his hand gesturing he wasn't through yet. " I mean in case I happen to run into her I'd like to know the face of such a prominent figure in the town."

Winking at his words, Adele nodded and began sifting through papers. " I knew you were from out of town." Her rummaging continued until she pulled a piece of parchment from the pile. " Here we are." Extending the piece of paper towards him, George reached out with a shaky hand.

He was almost too afraid to turn it over, but did so in a way that almost looked painful. There she was. The same almond shaped eyes and tiny scar he had memorized back in their seventh year. Beneath the photo was a blurb mentioning the donation and the appreciation the town held for Alicia. Yet it still wasn't enough proof. He was looking at a familiar face, but when he had spoke to her it was as though she were a stranger.

"That Cassius is a lucky man." Adele went back to her paper work.

George however couldn't stop staring at the photo. What was he missing? There had to be something else confirming who the girl was besides her uncanny resemblance, her name and the scar on her chin. Ok so maybe that sounded concrete enough for some, but this was his heart he was playing with. Furrowing his brow George brought the photo closer to his face and studied the her physical gestures. She stood like Alicia. Her smile was like Alicia's. Even the way she was waving in the photo bared an creepy similarity to her. "This is impossible." He sighed as she bent over to pick up her son in the photo. Something shiny fell from its place beneath her shirt.

He didn't see it at first, but when she began pulling her son up into her arms he caught sight of the small heart shaped locket. His breathing stopped and he began coughing furiously.

"Are you alright dear?" Adele questioned.

"Fine...fine." Taking a deep breath to ease the fit of coughs, George studied the photo and felt his heart explode with the joy of a thousand filibuster fireworks.

He had bought her that locket. He knew it was the one because the bottom point of the heart was encrusted with a small red ruby. He had charmed that ruby on himself right before her seventeenth birthday. He had been the one to place it on her neck. She was still alive, and she was still wearing his locket. His eyes went fuzzy with the thoughts of a thousand restless nights due to her 'death'. Alicia Spinnet was alive. His lover was alive.

Siding up to Adele, George held the clipping out and waved it as to get the woman's attention. " Would you mind if I took this article?"

Adele didn't even bother looking up from her papers. " Oh no dear you may have it if you'd like. I have about six more copies of that article." Chuckling under her breath she finally lifted her eyes and grinned at George.

"Thanks." Backing quickly away from the table he folded up the clipping and began moving towards the door.

"Are you leaving already? Have you found the person you were looking for?" Adele gazed once at the screens and then back towards George.

Almost feeling guilty for leaving the kind hearted woman alone, George flashed her his brilliant Weasley smile. " Yes...yes I found her." Waving a quick goodbye to Adele he bolted from the private room and closed his eyes.

The apparation process was a quick one, and when he appeared in the Jordan cottage he instantly went after the quill he had left on the kitchen counter. Scribbling on top of the clipping he quickly threw down the quill and bolted to the backyard. Just as he had expected the owl he had sent home had yet to return. A rather loud curse escaped his lips and he kicked over the small red wagon that was perched against the side of the cottage.

Making a dash for the broom shed he opened the sliding door and grabbed the closest one to the front. He needed to get to the town owlry and express the photo home. They needed proof...and he had found it.

* * *

"Angelina! We were here for nearly five hours yesterday!" Katie whined as Angelina dragged her back down into the musty dungeons of the Ministry.

Upon reading the owl they had received from George, Angelina had made it her mission to find the books on the Spinnet murders and dissect the scene from the inside out. Still completely uncertain of the things George had said, Angelina didn't plan on giving up until she found something on that horrid day. Granted they had pulled out about eighty files yesterday, but that didn't mean Alicia's file wasn't scrambled in with something else. Angelina had already become too blinded by the possibility that George was right. She wasn't about to stop now.

"Yeah I know and we didn't find a single thing. Hence the reason why we've returned." Rolling her eyes, she let go of Katie's arm as the approached the small table they had worked at the previous day. "Don't worry I wont tire you out with reading this afternoon. With any luck you'll be back to shag Lee sometime around supper." A rather large tome came whizzing by her head, and Angelina smirked at Katie's exaggerated behavior. "Come on." She gestured towards the stacks of files they had yet to touch, and one by one they began sifting through the paper work.

Tossing aside one of the smaller files, Katie groaned. "I think I mixed my piles up last night before we left. I looked at these already…"

With her finger slowly skimming the names of people on the table of contents page, Angelina just shrugged at Katie's mistake. "Just grab from the middle and start there."

An overdramatic sigh escaped the petite blonde, and she pushed the stack of files over in anger. "This is so stupid Angelina. Do you understand we are down here searching for evidence that out best friend inst dead." Reaching across the table, Katie tapped her hand against the side of Angelina's head. " Um hello…if she was alive don't you think she would have come home?"

"That's why we are trying to look for evidence you twit." Her patience had grown thin, and Angelina didn't drop her scowl even when Katie's eyes grew wide with worry. "If George is right and Alicia is alive and married to Warrington, Merlin rest her soul, then we need to figure out what the hell happened."

Dropping her eyes to her lap, Katie merely nodded. "I guess you have a point." Though in the pit of her stomach she still thought the idea was pointless. "But what the hell are we going to do with all these files 'Lina?" Gesturing around the room Katie pointed out the shelves of files that sat scattered around. By the looks of it there were at least a thousand files with death reports they had yet to touch.

"So what's your point?" She dealt with Fred's impatience since first year so it wasn't like she couldn't outwit Katie.

Folding her arms across her chest, Katie let her jaw drop open. "My point? What's my point?" Rising from her seat Katie waltzed towards one of the random shelves closest to Angelina and pointed towards it. "Do you see how many files are here? How the hell are we going to find the Spinnet murders?" Angelina just continued to furrow her brow, and Katie let out a noise that sound much like a roar. "Damn it Angelina it's not an easy process! That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Pointing towards the stack of files again Katie felt her anger flare. "It's not like I can knock this stack over…" Swinging her arm back Katie pushed forward and knocked a good portion of the files to the floor around Angelina's feet, " and viola there sits the Spinnet file." She threw her arms up in the air in aggravation.

"Hey look I found it." Angelina bent over and picked up one of the files closest to her feet.

Katie's jaw remained slack. "What?"

"I found the file…look." Waving the file in her hand she indicated that Katie grab the seat beside her.

"But I totally knocked that stack over. If I didn't throw a fit you wouldn't have found it!" Desperate to stake some claim in the discovery, Katie continued to rant about how she deserved credit until Angelina finally gave in.

"Great grand wonderful you found the bloody file. Cheers to you…now shut up and read with me." Flipping to the first few pages of the file Angelina felt her eyes fill with tears at the photos of her friends former home.

Katie took a sharp breath when Angelina paused on the photo labeled _Alicia Spinnet's Bedroom _and turned her face away from the horrific sight. There had been nothing left. The room looked as though it had been torn to shreds, and charred remains of bookcases, picture frames and other odd objects were positioned in the photo as though it were normal. Angelina felt the bile rise up in the back of her throat and she quickly turned the page to keep herself from getting ill. This was what they had searched for, and this was what she was going to have to face. Still the images were sick reminders of why Arthur Weasley didn't want anyone entering that house.

"Look here…" Katie scanned her finger over one of the smaller paragraphs.

_Alastor Spinnet(52): Two hits of killing curse. Found face down at the bottom of the grand staircase. No sign of struggle seeing as wand had not even been removed from his pocket. _

_Natalia Spinnet(46): Killing curse. Found at the back door propped against wall. Forensics determined she was trying to escape. Large gash on forehead suspect to struggle. _

_Alicia Spinnet (17): Blasts from explosion spell found upon various objects in room. Subject suspected to have been disintegrated upon blast. Back window found open. No sign of struggle. _

"There was no body." Angelina mumbled softly to herself as Katie let out a long breath. "They never found a body."

"But still it doesn't mean- "

"Wait…" Her finger moved towards a different portion of the file, and Angelina began reading the contents out loud.

_" The following report is a reenactment of the crime scene as per Auror officials: _

_**June 21st **_

_**8pm: **William Warrington enters premises of Spinnet estate with Cassius Warrington. _

_**8:15 : **William Warrington Jr. sets off distraction charms drawing the Spinnet family to the far side of the estate. (evidence found by examining wand) _

_**8:18 : **Esme Warrington enters through back of house hitting Natalie with killing curse. _

_**8:21 : **William Warrington and Jr. enter through front of house while Cassius moves towards back of house. _

_**8:25 : **Struggle with Alastor Spinnet in front entrance hall. Hit with two killing curses. One from the back and one from the right side. Assumed Esme emerged from back room. _

_**8:27 : **Meet Cassius up in Alicia's room. Killed by explosion spell. _

_Regardless of above statement Aurors only acting upon suspicion due to bitter rivalry between both families, and the unusual wandering of Cassius Warrington on Spinnet estate after murders. No wand has been found for William Warrington Sr. or Esme Warrington. The wand of Warrington Jr. was tested and no prior usage of killing curse was detected. Cassius Warrington failed to produce his wand when questioned, and when he returned with it a day later it was clean. Warrington's free of charge until further proof found_

_A. Moody "  
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An awkward silence steadied between them, and Katie just let her hand find its way to her mouth. Angelina on the other hand didn't bother exchanging any words. Instead she ripped out the page from the file, and shoved it deep within her pockets. If someone busted her for stealing Ministry files well they'd be forced to face a lot of question coming from her end. Who the hell authorized a stop search when the body of Alicia had never actually been discovered? Who had allowed for such a suspicious act to go unseen? Katie didn't need any direction from Angelina, and soon the two of them were fixing the files so they could head back to the shop and show the boys what they had found.

Almost fifteen minutes later Angelina and Katie were jogging down the main street of Diagon Alley and heading straight for the twins joke shop. Katie had reached the door first, and in one quick shove they both barged in with frantic looks upon their faces. Fred and Lee, who were busy staring at something on the desk, didn't bother looking up at them when both girls began blabbing at the same time.

Shoving Katie, which of course shut her up, Angelina removed the folded file piece from her pocket and held it out towards the boys. "Look what we found!" There was a hectic tone in her voice, and Angelina just wished Fred would look up from whatever it was he was staring at and acknowledge the fact that the girls had returned. "Hello? Did you hear me? Look what we found!"

"Damn it Lee would you stop looking at that stupid thing! We found the files! Alicia's body was never found! There was nothing in the file officially declaring her dead because a body was never found." Katie reached for one of the twins products and hurled it at her husband.

Ducking out of the way, Lee glared at Katie. "Merlin! We know woman!"

"What?" Came the unified puzzlement of both girls.

Fred didn't open his mouth, but instead lifted a piece of parchment up from the desk. Angelina just arched her eyebrow, and reached out for the slip. For a moment she didn't know what she was looking at seeing as her eyes were still glazed over from the photos she had earlier seen. Though it was Katie's gasp that snapped her into reality and forced her to see what was staring right back into her face.

"Holy Godric." She wasn't sure if she said it loud enough for anyone to hear, but that wasn't what mattered. What did matter was the fact that she was looking down at a photo of Alicia. George had found his proof.

Both girls slowly brought their eyes up to meet the boys, and through an odd mental exchange they knew what they were about to do.

It was Fred however that got them on the ball. "Pack your bags…George is about to get some visitors."

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Dun Dun Dun. So the gang is heading to Austria! Fantastic! That means Alicia will be confronted by the lot of them soon...doesn't it? Well I suppose you will have to wait to find out. CHapter 4 will be up soon. This has probably been the chapter I've been looking forward to the most. George has another little run in, but this time it goes a lot better than expected. Dont forget to leave me a little feedback. Tell me what you think. Do you love it? Hate it? Are you completely confused? Please review and let me know!! Cheers all! 


	4. Chapter 4

Just wanted to extend a quick thank you to all of you who reviewed. Now lets move on to the next chapter!

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**Chapter 4**

Sunday. How had he only been in Austria for three days? It seemed like he had been wasting here a goddamn eternity ever since he had stumbled upon this outlandish mystery. One day's rest. All he needed to recuperate from this headache was one days rest. By that time Fred would probably have owled him back, and George would begin to pick up the pieces of this brain busting dilemma. All he needed was one day. Which was why he had decided to do what normal tourists do while traveling and take up some sightseeing. From what he had witnessed so far the Austrian landscape was positively breathtaking, and the small town just outside the Jordan cottage was quaint. Spending a little time there would help him clear his mind.

His feet carried him past a few taverns and local spots where business seemed to be rather booming for a Sunday mid-afternoon. The people seemed friendly enough so when he offered a few of them a quick wave it was returned with a friendly hello from the locals. It was a nice change in pace though his mind constantly drifted back to Alicia. What had Warrington done to manipulate her, and why couldn't she remember anything? Oh there were a dozen explanations George could think of. Cassius had been obsessed with Alicia throughout their entire seventh year. He had gone to extreme lengths to try and pry her away from George in the past. It didn't seem so far fetched that he had done something horrid to her memory. Yet there were so many other options that plagued his mind that he began to hyperventilate. Being completely out of his element, and most likely out of character, George spotted something out of the corner of his eye that was destined to make him calm down.

"Merlin's beard thank you…" Picking up his pace, George closed the distance between himself and the candy store that was situated on the corner of the street. In a way it reminded him vaguely of Honeydukes, and the thought of downing a dozen chocolate frogs sent him into a schoolboy tizzy.

Pushing the door to the shop, George stepped inside and was immediately greeted by the sweet smell of candied goodness. Lava rocks, chocolate frogs, acid pops, and the ever popular Fizzing cauldron cakes lined the shelves as though they had been freshly placed there for him. Not to mention the shop went back about twelve aisles deep. It was candy madness, and George couldn't wait to get his hands on the one thing that would make him feel a million times better.

"Need any 'elp sir?" A burly looking man moved out from behind the counter and handed him a clear plastic bag.

"No no….I'm …give me that bag." Snatching the thing from the disgruntled man, George set to work filling the bag with as much candy as he could. Chocolate, licorice, suckers, sugar quills…everything was squeezed into the small container until there was barely any room left.

Moving towards the back of the store, George began browsing through the smaller sucking candies when the small chime above the shop door sounded. He was too preoccupied with his assortment of goodies to notice anything going on around him so he barely flinched when he heard a familiar voice travel through the joint.

"Mommy…I want the 'ollipop." The statement was followed by a young boy's whining, and then a chuckle that sounded an awful lot like a woman's.

Placing the handful of gummy worms back into the jar, George pushed aside one of the boxes of candy and peered to the front of the shop. Out of all the places in the town she had chosen this one. The very place he had gone to try and get away from her until he had devised a plan. "Oh bloody brilliant."

So preoccupied with staring through the small space, George didn't even feel the hand of the small boy tugging at the bottom of his coat. " 'Scuse me." The little voice sounded. " 'Scuse me…hey." Giving one final tug, James grinned when George looked down and gave him a questioning look.

How had the kid manage to sneak so quickly beside him? "Oh I'm quite sorry sir….Hey…" He played it off as cool as possible.

Folding his arms across his chest, James sighed. "Hey don't I know you." The small boy glared up at George with a quizzical expression.

George grinned at the kids confused look and chuckled. " Yes I believe so. I believe we were museum buddies...eh?" Shrinking down to the boys level, George casually glanced up as the sound of clicking heels came round the aisle.

"James I told you to- oh" Coming to an abrupt halt Alicia stared down at George.

She hadn't expected to see anyone else out on a Sunday afternoon. Especially someone inside the candy shop. Usually the place was vacant during this time of day. Instead she had run into the one person she was doing her best to forget about. What had been his name again? " Well it seems as though we meet again, Mr. Weasley." Managing to recover his last name in the last moment Alicia let a deep breath slip through her lips. Leaning over so she was about level with James, Alicia took her son's hand and frowned. " No more running away from mommy...ok? I need to be able to see you . " When James nodded his understanding Alicia held out the candy bag and gestured towards the aisles. "Whatever you want today sweetheart...we just won't tell daddy." She winked.

James threw one last glance up at George and then giggled as he took the bag and shot down the aisle across from them. Alicia folded her arms across her chest and finally returned her attention to George. Why couldn't she look him in the eye?

"So what brings you here?" she quirked a brow as her eyes fell down upon his overstuffed bag. " I have a five year old son...kids are supposed to have a sweet tooth. Grown men on the other hand..." She smirked as her finger flicked the contents of his candy bag.

Oh how he had missed her wit. When they were younger Alicia had been able to exchange words with George almost as good as Fred could. She was always on top of her game, and even this slight remark she just made reminded him of those old times.

Putting on his best insulted face, George clutched the candy close to his body. "Ill have you know that a sweet tooth is the most healthiest kind of tooth how dare you insult the high and might sugar coated goodness!"

Chuckling lightly Alicia glanced back to check on James before waving her hand to brush off his silly comment. "Believe what you wish Mr. Weasley, but I suspect that your healthy sweet tooth won't be so healthy if you eat all this." She patted the bag again.

Looking down at his bag of candy the full effect of what he had shoved in there hit him, and he in turn laughed. " well at least it will be worth it...and please call me George."

"Alicia" she threw out there in case he had forgotten.

" I know."

Glancing uncomfortably down at the ground Alicia kicked at the marbled floor. " if it isn't too bold of me to ask...what are you doing in this town? It rarely attracts tourists." It was an honest question seeing as her husband was an Austrian diplomat, but another part of her wanted to learn just a little bit more about the dashing stranger. Merlin Daphne would be rolling in hysterics if she witnessed Alicia now.

"My friends own a cottage outside of town. They offered me a free vacation to escape..." He paused. " to get away from a stressful work station."

"Did it work?" James' giggle could be heard an aisle over so she gestured for George to follow as she moved towards that aisle.

"Not particularly. I actually made the stress that much worse." His eyes traveled down her form while she wasn't looking, and snapped immediately back to place when she turned back around. " To be honest the stress I thought I'd loose only escalated."

"Really now?" suddenly aware that she was brushing shoulders with him, Alicia stepped back. " I find that hard to believe considering this town is so quaint and secluded from the noisy city. Where did you say you were from?" She delicately arched her eyebrow.

Should he lie? If he mentioned London or the Burrow would she remember? What if he just told her he was from Hogwarts? Perhaps a familiar name would jolt her out of this stupid memory lapse. " England." Closing his eyes he mentally cursed at his own stupidity.

As if waiting for a different answer she replied with a lethargic "oh"

"Mommy!" James came speeding towards her side and clutched desperately at his mothers coat. " Mom Mom Mom Mom Mom..." He repeated her name frantically until Alicia finally mouthed an apology to George and bent down to his level again.

"Yes your majesty?" the boy giggled again and held out his left hand to reveal an oversized lollipop.

" I want this." Grinning a toothy smile he waited for her to take it.

Alicia looked down at his bag which was already full of candy, and chuckled. " James don't you think you have enough candy?"

"But moooooooooom." The tears welled up in his eyes, and George did his best from laughing. The boy had certainly acquired Alicia's skill for getting what she wanted.

"James you can only have that lollipop if it fits in the candy bag. You already have enough so either take some stuff out of that bag and put in the lollipop or put the lollipop back." She held her stare until the boy finally let out a whine and put the lollipop back down on the shelf. Storming back down the other end of the aisle Alicia held her hand over her face and sighed.

"Sorry about that." Alicia kept one eye closed and squinted in George's direction.

"Don't worry. He sorta reminds me of this kid I knew when I was younger." He grinned.

"Was he manipulative and a good actor?"

"She.." He corrected, " was an absolute masterpiece of getting what she wanted."

Alicia, suddenly feeling completely at ease, grinned. "Ah I should have known it was a girl. We women are known for being quite convincing." Lifting her hand to her mouth she huffed on it and then rubbed her nails triumphantly across her chest.

It took all of his strength not to jump at her. Instead he decided to go in for the kill by using this idle chit chat. It also helped that her son was becoming slightly distracting, and her words were loosely falling from her lips. "So Ms. Spin - er Warrington...what brings you to these parts? I mean I understand your married and such, but you strike me as such a burst of excitement...seems almost crazy you would end up in such a quiet place."

Alicia absorbed the question with mild interest. To be honest she had wondered the same thing many times before. Inside of she felt the explosion of a thousand charms, and she couldn't quite explain the urge to find her place in the world. Of she knew she belonged with James and Cassius in the estate he had so graciously given her, but it was lacking something. It was an empty vessel that she never felt she could fill.

"Now that's an interesting one..." She began wiping James' mouth as the boy devoured one of the chocolates from his bag. Taking the wrapper in her hand she shrugged. " I've lived here most of my life actually. Course I don't remember much, but what I've been told makes it seem like I've lived here most of my teenage years."

George wanted to scream. He wanted to take her in his arms and make her understand that something was wrong with her. She was not from Austria, and she didn't grow up in this area. Alicia was from Galway in Ireland. She had lived there through out her schooling at Hogwarts. She was a green eyed Irish goddess, and somehow she had forgotten that. George continued playing make believe.

"Interesting. So I assume your parents live close by? I can't honestly believe two loving grandparents would be far from their daughter and grandchild." He nearly choked on the foul false statement.

When they were in their seventh year of Hogwarts the group had noticed a drastic change in Alicia. She stopped eating, stopped having fun, and in fact she forgot her own birthday until they threw her a party. It wasn't until the holiday season that they found out the truth behind her actions. For the seven years she had schooled with them she had kept her bloodline a secret. Alicia's father was a former Death Eater. George quickly learned how foul they treated her, and she even confessed that her father was the culprit of her scar. He knew they weren't loving, and he also knew they were quite dead. Still he needed more information from her.

Her eyes grew a bit wide. " Oh...oh ...um my parents passed away five years ago. There was a fire in our manor and they didn't make it out. I ...I actually almost died as well." Suddenly a smile graced her lips. "Cassius saved me. He saw the burning fire and came rushing in to my rescue. By the time he reached me I was knocked out from a fallen beam, but he was able to get me out in time."

George felt his jaw go slack. The sodding wanker lied to her. He concocted some story and lied to her! " you were ok though...right?" suddenly pulled into the intense reality of the growing situation, George failed to see the box of sugar quills in front of him.

When the box came crashing down at his feet, Alicia chuckled and grabbed James' candy bag. Placing it on the front counter she began to pay the man for the contents. " Actually there were a few complications. " her smile faded. " the beam that hit me caused a lapse in memory. I lost it all. The mediwitches that worked on me tried a lot of memory modification charms, but they just didn't help. Thank Merlin for Cassius and Daphne though."

George wasn't sure what sort of expression he was giving her so he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from looking like an idiot.

" The two of them helped me get back on my feet again, and even did their best to jog my memory. My best friend Daphne used to bring in albums of our old school days at Durmstrang, and eventually I began to accept the life I had forgotten. Cassius and I were already two years into dating, and I was pregnant with James. We were married once I was released from the hospital." She shrugged again as the man behind the counter handed her the change. " keep it." She grinned at him.

George still remained silent. It was finally laid out for him. Cassius must have convinced his parents to destroy the Spinnet's so he could have Alicia. He modified her memory and manipulated her mind into believing that they were already a couple. The snake had tricked them all. He had stolen away Alicia and had been controlling her life for the last five years. Perhaps the most unsettling image of all was the fact that they had a child together. The poor boy was raised by a mother who wasn't even the real Alicia.

George fought back the urge to yell.

"Are you paying for those sir?" The candy man gestured towards his bag, and George threw it up on the counter. Glancing over his shoulder Alicia was fixing James' hair which had become stuck to one side of the boys forehead.

George slide a few coins across the counter and waved his hand away when the man tried to give him back a few knuts. "Hey Alicia..." He stuffed the bag of candy into his rather large coat pocket.

Alicia had been playing with her son's hair when George had called out to her. A sudden pang of familiarity came over her, and she quirked a brow as she stood up to meet his stare. What was so familiar about the way he said her name? Why did she suddenly feel like she had known him for her entire life? Placing her hand down on her chest her fingers idly moved towards the locket beneath her sweater where she began to fumble with the chain.

"Yes?" She stammered.

"Can I buy you a cup of coffee?" he came up to her side. " I feel awful for having you bring up such a horrible part of your past." He pouted out his lower lip, and James laughed.

A smirk rose to her lips, and she looked down at her son who seemed to be enthralled by their new companion. " Ya know...that face usually only works when he does it." She nodded towards her son, " but since you remind me so much of him right now how can I decline such a nice offer." Taking James by the hand she gave it a squeeze. "How bout it sweetheart? Wanna spend a little more time with Mr. Weasley?"

"Will you buy me hot choc'ate?" He looked towards George with inquisitive eyes.

"Of course! Treats on me!" Holding the door open for the two of them George felt his heart begin to beat at a sickening rate. Being this close to her and not letting out the truth was killing him. It didn't matter. He needed to speak with Cassius before flinging around the truth to Alicia. Something that shocking would most likely screw with her head even more.

"This is awfully nice of you." Alicia, who had been transfixed on his features, smiled. "Normally people from out of town aren't so friendly."

Heading towards one of the smaller cafés, George cocked his head to the side as James ran out in front of them. " Really? That's kind of surprising."

Scrunching her nose slightly, Alicia shrugged. "Well sometimes my husband attracts questionable people. It comes with the job though. Not everyone in his circle of employment is friendly." Glancing up towards her son, Alicia yelled, " James wait for us there. When it comes to chocolate the kid wastes no time." She chuckled.

George on the other hand couldn't get over the things she was saying. Was Cassius still involved with the Death Eaters? Did he bring that sort of thing into the house and expect it to be the right kind of atmosphere to bring a child up in? For the love of Godric this was getting more complicated with every step. "Well as long as he treats you right. That should be all that matters….and yes he looks like he's about to burst if he doesn't get that hot chocolate." He had to admit James was awfully cute for a little bugger. George had always imagined having his own Weasley clan someday, and seeing James reminded him how much he had wanted that with Alicia.

"Coming?" Her voice knocked him out of his daydream.

"Yeah comin?" James tugged at George's sleeve. Somehow he had managed to walk beside her while completely dazed.

Glancing down at James, George nodded. "Lets go before they run out of chocolate." The poor child looked at him as though the thought was appalling, and quickly ran ahead of him into the café.

"He likes you." Alicia said softly as they approached the front counter. James had already taken the liberty of sitting in one of the smaller booths towards the back. Alicia gave him a look indicating that he better sit still, and without uttering a single word the boy snapped his legs together and sat patiently while waiting for his chocolate.

George smirked. "Really? What makes you say that?"

"Well for one he hasn't tried to make you disappear yet….and he hasn't tried to fake you out by eating his gummy worms." Letting a tiny laugh pass through her lips, Alicia gave a small wave towards the owner of the café. "It doesn't seem like much, but he has a tendency to pull jokes on people he doesn't like right away. He still pulls them on Daphne all the time…which completely confuses me. One minute he loves her and the next he hates her. Its like he has a sixth sense about her or something." Shaking her head as though the idea was ludicrous, Alicia grinned at the woman who came up to them.

"Ah so nice to see you in here again Ms. Warrington." The rather attractive woman, placed a short menu in front of them.

"Oh nothing heavy today Greta. We just need two cups of coffee and a small hot chocolate for James." Gesturing towards George, Alicia kept her eyes on Greta. "This is Mr. George Weasley…he's from out of town. "

Extending his hand in her direction, Greta gave him a slow questioning look before finally taking his hand in hers. "Nice to meet you Greta."

Though Greta seemed a bit apprehensive of the red headed man. "Pleasure." Summoning the mugs and the hot pots over towards the counter, Greta kept one eye focused on George and the other on the mugs. "How do you know Ms. Warrington, Mr. Weasley?"

Did everyone in town have some creepy sixth sense? George stared down at the woman knowing very well why she was giving him questionable looks. The most beloved woman in the town was having coffee with a stranger, and George didn't exactly fit the same bill Warrington did. "We met at the museum." He kept it blunt.

Alicia, suddenly understanding Greta's harsh tone, reached out and grabbed her mug of coffee and James' hot chocolate. "Greta…please refrain from thinking such awful things about my choice of company." Turning on her heel before the woman had a chance to reply, George followed her back to the table and slide into the spot next to James.

The small boy was practically ready to explode, and when Alicia handed him the mug of hot chocolate he squealed with delight. Alicia on the other hand had suddenly gone from very cheery to very quiet. "Knut for your thoughts?" George arched a brow as he took a small sip of the piping hot liquid.

Alicia had already begun to sip at the contents, and cursed under her breath as the scalding coffee burned her. "MOMMY!" James burst into hysterics at his mothers use o f language and she cursed again.

Sliding her hand over her face she settled it down against her cheek and blushed once she realized George was staring. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I love Greta…don't get me wrong, but the sodding woman irritates me to no end sometimes. Every time I come in here she lays these subtle things upon me thinking that Im not going to understand what she's insinuating. I'm not a sodding idiot…" Taking another sip of coffee she sighed.

There it was. The famous Alicia Irish temper. It was possible for Warrington to manipulate her memories, but that same Spinnet flair never died. He could see the fire in her cheeks, and for a brief moment it felt like he had her back again. It was almost too surreal, and he recalled the time she had gotten so angry at him that she took her broom and recklessly jumped out the window in Gryffindor tower. Of course that was the same night she crashed her broom into the Whomping Willow and proceeded to get a black eye and six stitches across her forehead. That was Alicia. A spitfire that would walk on water for the ones she loved. She did what she wanted, and would pay the consequences when they came…and he loved her for it.

"Your gonna burn your taste buds clear off of you keep doing that." He warned her as the steam continued to rise from her mug. James, still in hysterics, snorted back his laugh and took a gulp of his chocolate.

"Momma…can Mr. George come eat dinner?" James pouted out his lower lip which brought back that pleasant smile to Alicia's face.

"Oh I don't know sweetheart. I'm sure Mr. George has a lot of other things he has to do today. Its already nice enough that he bought us these drinks." Flickering her gaze up towards George she smirked. "Unless of course he'd like to come to dinner. My friends fiancé has just come home from a business trip so I'm sure there will be a large dinner." Her coffee had finally cooled down enough for her to drink, and Alicia relished in the fantastic taste of bitterness.

His blood began to pump rapidly. Oh how he would have loved to walk into that estate and come face to face with that rat Warrington. How brilliant it would be to see the look of horror on the boy's face when he realized that his little game of house was finally over. He was tempted to do it right then and there. He'd go back with her to the estate and blow the cover that Warrington had placed over her eyes. Then George would whisk her away and everything would go back to the way that it was. He'd have his Alicia back, and they could go home and start a family.

"So you gonna come Mr. George?"

Family. _Shit_. His eyes moved slowly down to his side and he came face to face with a toothy grin courtesy of James Warrington. For the love of Godric he was a sucker for kids. "No little man….I'm afraid I can't make it tonight." It was one thing breaking Warrington into a thousand pieces, but it was another thing to do it in front of five year old James. George wouldn't let it happen like that.

"Are you sure?" Alicia, who George noticed looked quite disappointed, ran her finger along the rim of the mug. "It really wouldn't be a hassle if you wanted to come. In fact you have been so incredibly nice to us that I feel its necessary that I repay you." She wanted him to come to dinner. She truly honestly wanted him to come to dinner. And it wasn't because she was enjoying his company. No, there was something else that was begging her to convince him. She could feel it deep within her bones, and she didn't want to take no for an answer. "I would love to introduce you to Daphne…oh and Cassius of course."

"No…I cant. I'm really sorry, but I promised a friend I'd write home tonight. Its rather important. Another time though. I'm sure there will be another time before I head back home. " His eyes caught sight of Greta who was making her way over towards their table. He had just about finished his coffee, and by the looks of it she was almost done with hers. He had to leave her now. "Hey James…" He bent over to the boy's ear just as Greta arrived at the table.

"I'm real sorry Ms. Warrington. I didn't mean to offend you at all. I hope the coffee was enough for you."

Alicia turned her attention up towards the blonde woman and nodded. "The coffee was fine Greta. Thank you." She had been blunt enough where she hoped Greta would get the picture and leave, but that was a lost cause once George stood from the booth and handed out a bit of money to café owner.

"Here you are, Greta. Thanks very much." He gave her a small nod and then turned back towards Alicia. "Im sorry to run off in such a hurry, but I do need to see to that letter…and eat all of that candy I bought. " He grinned as Alicia chuckled. "I'll be seeing you around, Ms. Warrington." Winking at James he held up his hand in a salute. "And young sir! I shall be seeing you soon! Good day." Sharing one last smile with each of them, George turned on his heel and quickly made a bee line for the door.

As the bell jingled indicating his exit, Greta just looked down at a dazed Alicia and shook her head. Alicia on the other hand felt that same strange feeling she had felt the first time she ran into him. As soon as he left it was like a part of her had died, and she began counting the minutes in hopes that she would see him again. Was she mad? He had only bought her coffee! Plus she was married! Running her hands over her face Alicia took a deep breath and tried her best to dismiss the sudden jittery feelings. How did he do it? How did he make her feel like she was sixteen all over again?

"I like him Momma." James called out from across the table.

"Mmmhmm. He's very nice James." Her face still remained planted within her hands, and she took another breath to ease the tension.

"He is…he gave me his pop."

Removing her hands from her face, Alicia glanced across the table to see her son in all his glory. The giant lollipop she had said no to in the candy store was now sitting in the hands of a very happy five year old. The look of pure excitement in his eyes was enough to keep her from getting angry, and when he knew she wasn't going to scold him he held out the giant sucker and offered her a lick. ""No thank you." Her decline was fine by him as he quickly went back to licking the lollipop as though it may get up and run away from him. "Very very nice…" A goofy smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.

"Momma…" Taking the lollipop away from his mouth, James waited for Alicia to look at him before continuing with his question. "How come Mr. George has the same freckle on his ear like me?" Taking his index finger he pointed to the spot on his right ear where the oddest little freckle sat.

Quirking her brow at her son's odd choice in questions, Alicia shrugged. "I don't know sweetheart." Her voice dropped low. "I don't know about a lot of things right now." Shaking her head side to side, Alicia pushed herself up and out of the booth. "Come on baby…lets go home. We can go see Aunt Daph and Uncle Marcus." Sliding out of the booth, Alicia grabbed the non sticky hand and began ushering him towards the door. There was a brief second where she hoped to open the door and find George standing on the other side, but that thought was pushed away as soon as she stepped into the late afternoon air. He was gone, and Alicia was needed at home. "Merlin I need to stop this…" Turning up the road, Alicia began her trek back to the estate.

George however had waited for her to leave. He had sat quietly down the street and out of sight just so he could watch her leave. It was like an obsession now, and he wouldn't be satisfied till he had her back in his life. He just needed to see her. Even when she was far from his sight he still sat there pretending that he could see her. It was the same thing he had done the day she had left him on the train platform. He stood there for twenty minutes watching the spot where she had disappeared. This was exactly like that night.

Finally coming to conclusion that she wouldn't be coming back, George got up from the bench and began the trek back home. He could have apparated and been back to the Jordan's place within seconds, but for some reason he just felt like walking. The air was something he needed to clear his head. He had planning to do, and a clear steady mind would be needed in order to create a plan that would blow Cassius' cover. By now he had hoped Fred had owled him back with some news, but there was no word. At this rate he'd be confronting Cassius by next New Years.

The long street turned into a smaller one, and he could make out the outline of the Jordan house from where he was. It had only taken him fifteen minutes or so to walk between the cottage and the town. To be honest he had no idea he was in such decent shape. Hell the last time he had ever done any physical activity he had been trying to avoid one of Ginny's hexes by sprinting across the Burrow's yard at record speed. This on the other hand was a relaxing walk. A walk where he could figure out his next plan of action without worrying about any ridiculous interruptions.

Stepping up towards the front door of the cottage, George heard something fall over inside. Had Warrington beat him to his house? Pulling his wand from his pocket, he waited a moment before taking a quick breath and kicking the door open with one foul swoop. That was physical activity number two. Flinging his wand around erratically he didn't lower it until a familiar voice told him to stop acting like an idiot and put the wand away. That of course was the voice of Angelina.

"Hey Georgie…" Fred sidled up to George's side and wrapped his arm around his neck. "We thought we'd head up here and keep you company or something. "

Completely thrown off by the random surprise, George just stood in the doorway with his mouth open wide. "Hey….hey…long time no see."

"Well geez man I hope that's not what you said to Alicia when you ran into her." Lee Jordan's obnoxious voice carried off through the cottage setting off a fit of laughter from everyone but a still very perplexed George. "Not exactly very romantic."

"Georgie Pie…"Fred began moving George towards the couch and sat his brother down carefully. "Georgie face…listen here mate…play time is over. It's time to get back Alicia."

And as quickly as that it had begun.

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And so it begins. The entire gang is now in Austria, and that means only one thing….its time to confront Warrington. Chapter 5 will be up soon, and we will learn more of the mystery behind Alicia's lost memory. PLEASE review! I love the feedback and it helps me bust out the next chapter quickly! Plus if you review for me I will totally review for you!! Thanks again! Much love to you all! 


	5. Chapter 5

I want to apologize over and over again for the long wait on this chapter. I left for Ireland almost a month ago, and upon my return I found out my computer had been sent in for an update. I finally received it back this week, and now I'm ready to continue on with this tale. I really appreciate all of you who have stuck with me thus far. Without any further interruptions I bring you the next chapter of Where Have You Been,

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**Chapter 5**

Alicia had continued to casually glance back over her shoulder the entire walk home in hopes of seeing George wandering somewhere behind her. When each glance remained empty a soft confusing bubble seemed to have popped in the pit of her stomach. She knew he wasn't going to be there, and yet Alicia wanted to see him standing there. She wanted to stare into those eyes and continue to feel the strange connection she had with him. It felt as though five years of darkness was begging to be revealed when she was with him, and she wanted to see what it was her head was trying to show her. Yet as she carried James up the long staircase to the front door she felt incredibly guilty. Inside the estate her husband went out of his way to make sure she was happy. Why did she suddenly think that it was ok to have these adulterous thoughts?

"They aren't adulterous." She mumbled softly to herself.

Turning the handle on the large front door, Alicia found herself staring into an empty front entrance hall.

"Hello?" She placed James down on the floor as the small boy continued to suck on the lollipop George had given him.

When there was no answer Alicia glanced questioningly up the stairs. Was Cassius in his office so early? Grabbing James by the hand, Alicia began her trek up the main staircase and turned down the corridor towards her husband's office. For a second she was certain that she heard muffled voices coming from behind the office door but was baffled as to who he'd be working with on a Sunday evening. Then again she had found herself perplexed by many of his random meetings. There were plenty of occasions that she found him cooped up in his study during the holiday's or even on his own birthday. To find it absurd that he'd be working early on a Sunday evening was absurd in itself.

Stepping up to the door, Alicia pressed her ear lightly against it.

"Are we playing secrets?" James asked in a strained hushed tone.

Practically forgetting that he was with her, Alicia looked down at her son's face and sighed. " Oh… no sweetheart. " And with a sigh she tapped her finger against the door.

There was a muffled scramble from behind the door, and she distinctly heard one of the heavy wooden chairs fall over and hit the floor. Frowning the slightest at her growing suspicions, Alicia grabbed the door knob and let herself into the dark room that her husband so often frequented.

Glancing into the room, Alicia let her eyes fall on three individuals who looked like they had been caught red handed. "Why do you three look so incredibly guilty?" She peered between Cassius, Daphne and Marcus Flint letting out a chuckle.

Daphne was half hunched over with her hands resting on the side of the fallen wooden chair. When her best friend merely glanced over at Cassius, Alicia found herself frowning. Were they keeping something from her? Granted she recently wasn't being the most honest individual, but when the odds were three to one she felt incredibly out numbered. Maybe it was just paranoia washing over her guilty conscious, but even when she flickered her gaze towards Cassius he turned and quickly shuffled the papers that had gone awry on his desk.

"Hi Uncle Marcus!" James, who had been utterly quiet, bolted from Alicia's side and stormed towards the tall figure who was pressed against the wall.

Marcus shuffled his feet awkwardly as James rushed towards him, but as the young boy reached his side he bent down and scooped him up into his arms. "Oi, you keep getting bigger mate." He let his free hand ruffle the boy's already messy hair, and chuckled when James stuck the oversized lollipop in between them.

"Look what I got! Look!" He waved it frantically between them, and let the sticky side hit Marcus square on the nose. Finding it to be absolutely hilarious, James burst into a fit of giggles and let his head drop back around his shoulders.

Cassius on the other hand looked at Alicia and sighed. "I thought we agreed no candy." He gestured towards the lollipop and raised his eyebrows.

Removing her jacket and placing it on the coat stand to her right, Alicia moved across the room and helped lift the armchair from the floor that Daphne had yet to move. "And I thought we agreed he would get a reward when he behaved?" She smiled down at Daphne though felt the need to question her friend for the suspicious feelings she was suddenly receiving.

Placing his head into his hands Cassius let out another frustrated breath. "Spoiling him is going to make him soft, Alicia. We need to keep him on his feet and grounded at all times. If you keep doting on him every waking second he is going to expect to be spoon fed for the rest of his life."

"Mommy didn't buy this for me." James spoke up as he wiggled out of Marcus' arms. He was barely touching the floor and already moving in his father's direction.

Her heart stopped. If there was one thing Cassius blew his temper on it was the jealous nerve that snapped every time another wizard even looked in her direction. " James…" She reached out to grab his arm, but the boy was too quick and already at his father's side.

Alicia could have sworn she caught a flicker of worry behind Cassius' eyes as though he was expecting this. Brushing it off as the oddly lit candles in the room she bit down on her lower lip as the words spilled so carelessly from James' mouth.

"We went to the candy store today and Mr. George gave me this." He held up the giant lollipop triumphantly.

Alicia on the other hand felt her eyes wander down to the floor. Merlin she had never noticed the intricate detail of the oriental carpet Cassius had installed when they first moved into the estate. Maybe if she just stared at the floor long enough everyone would forget what words that came out of James' mouth. She felt the eyes on her. Oh Merlin she felt them burning holes into the front of her very exposed guilt ridden face. She could almost here the accusations flying from Cassius, and the worst part of it all was that she did indeed feel like she deserved them. Even when Daphne coughed to break the silent tension she felt like crawling into a hole and concealing herself until the following Christmas. This was not going to be a very good moment.

"James…sweetheart." She swallowed, " why don't you go to your room and get into your night clothes. You can finish your lollipop in your bedroom only if you promise to look through the charms picture book Aunt Daph bought you. Deal?" Normally she would have let her eyebrows arch in a playful way, but the look upon her face was far too serious.

As if sensing the odd tone in the room James slipped away from his father without another word and made his way towards the door. "Ok." He didn't put up any argument, but instead grabbed his mother around the legs and gave her a quick squeeze before slipping out of the room and into the corridor.

She heard his tiny footsteps move across the estate until there was silence and the soft click of the door indicating he had gone to his room as he was told. Alicia wheeled around towards Cassius ready to receive the worst. "Cassius…you mustn't think that I-"

"Think that you what?" He rose from the large desk causing Daphne to scurry back and find refuge behind one of the larger armchairs in the corner of the room.

Her hands flew up defensively, "You always jump to these conclusions that I'm trying to have some sort of silly affair, and I want you to know that I -"

"That you went out with our son and spent the afternoon with a strange man?" His words were tense with anger. "That you let him snake his way into James' life? That you let him buy our son presents?"

"Cassius it was just a lollipop, and there was no snaking involved." She scrunched her face in a confused manner. "We met him at the museum the other afternoon, and we just ran into him again." She glanced towards Marcus for some sort of support, but only caught his eyes for a second as the man turned away and faced the other wall. Both Marcus and Daphne had witnessed these arguments before, and many times they had involved themselves in order to stop things before they got out of control. Though there were the few times where they could sense the degree of Cassius' anger and would often steer clear of swaying any anger in their direction.

"Ah just a lollipop. Just like I can assume that this was just some man that graciously spent money on a child he held no claim on? What did you do Alicia? Did you sweet talk him into spending money on James? Did you bat your eyelashes and play the pathetic stupid cliché witch role?" He took notice that her eyes had filled with tears, and he paused. There was never any indication when the temper would snap, but it had just snapped and thrown itself over the edge. He had gone too far.

"I just-" She started softly, but kept her eyes focused mainly on the floor. Somewhere inside of her she felt the need to lash out and protect herself from these moments, but she always dropped her guard and let him attack her with his anger. After losing her memory there was this indescribable sense of defeat within her, and arguing with Cassius often left her feeling as though whatever the fight was about she was constantly at fault. He knew this too. He knew that she'd never try and defend herself when he got so irate. And yet somewhere in the back of her head she felt the need to yell back at him. She wanted him to know that she had spent the afternoon with George, and she did have a good time. She wanted to anger him further and fling her own accusations.

He was suddenly at her side. "Alicia…I'm sorry. I just can't stand to think of you skulking around with another man. I can't stand to think-" His hand that had been placed upon her shoulder was suddenly flung aside by her own tiny hand. To be honest Cassius had never expected that to happen, and stumbled back on his feet.

"And what of you?" She yelled bitterly, the tears now rolling down her cheeks. "I walk in here expecting to be greeted with some sort of endearing welcome, and not only do I get snubbed by the three of you, but you look at me as though you've been caught like a Hippogriff in wand lights! What were you doing? What were you three talking about that was so damn secretive that you hushed up as soon as I walked in?" She stared accusingly not only at Cassius, but now at Daphne and Marcus.

"Alicia!" Daphne, who had remained utterly quiet throughout the Warrington family ranting, finally stepped from behind the chair and placed her hand on Alicia's shoulder. Never had she seen her friend lose her temper like this. Not since she had seen Alicia in Hogwarts, and well that was…that was something that she had been certain Cassius had wiped from her mind. "Alicia we weren't keeping anything from you!" Her voice was calm, and she guided the shaky brunette towards the soft brown leather chair. "We just didn't want to say anything with James in the room." Daphne glanced back over her shoulder towards Cassius.

He looked just as baffled. Alicia never lost her temper. Well unless he went back to their days as Hogwarts students. He had fixed that though. He had been sure to nix that from her when he brought her home from the hospital. It wouldn't have been healthy for her to carry such a temper while with child, but even after she had James he never removed the bind on her. Cassius hated to toy with her mind, but the truth was that he enjoyed the calm passive Alicia. Granted it was her spunk that initially had drawn him to her during their school days, but having the upper hand in the relationship always made him feel like a better husband. Even worse a stronger wizard.

Cassius sighed and let his own body fall back into one of the chairs. He certainly didn't want to tell Alicia what they had just been discussing. After all it had been one of the small factors that had placed her in her unknowing predicament five years ago. Unfortunately Daphne had already opened her large mouth and blurted out what Cassius had hoped she wouldn't. "She's right, Alicia. We didn't want to scare James with the news Marcus returned with."

Alicia, looking so utterly defeated, sat motionless in the armchair. "What is it?" Her eyes studied Cassius with concern.

"Its the...well you know..." He was never very good at telling the truth. Even when it was directed to Alicia it was hard for him to defy his family so easily. " My father has sent word about his new found involvement with the Zabini's. Marcus caught wind of it while he was away on business." He winced as Alicia gasped.

"But - but you said your family was going to remain neutral from now on." She glanced at Daphne, but turned back to Cassius as her best friend continued to look away.

Alicia knew all about the Zabini family. Upon the death of their son Blaise, whom Cassius claimed to know through family connections, the Zabini's went into hiding after the fall of the Dark Lord. They were one of the few families never caught by Aurors. Cassius had promised he had no clue to there whereabouts. Deatheaters. She despised the things they did with the utmost passion. She wanted each caught and persecuted for the loss of so many innocent people. Even if they weren't involved with any murders.

Two years ago Cassius had explained his families interest in the dark arts. He promised Alicia that it was mere fascination, and to disregard the awkward conversations his family would sometimes exchange. Though it sometimes proved hard to dismiss when his mother spoke outwardly against certain people. There was this unsettling look of hatred sometimes present in the woman's eyes, and Alicia often shuddered when Cassius mentioned his parents would be stopping by. After all she had mistakenly overheard his mother speak with foul tongue against a blood betrayal. She cursed the Spinnet family constantly but would always end the outbursts with an evil laugh and a cheer to their demise. Alicia often felt ill when listening about that family in particular.

" I know." Cassius clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. " and I have been trying to convince them of the consequences. My father seems indifferent by my concerns. Even when I mentioned the harm it could bring to James. "

Marcus, who had remained awfully quiet, finally moved from his spot and turned to face the group of them. " there is little we can do now. Your father has already agreed to back the Zabini's when they come out of hiding. They plan to locate the handful of pureblood survivors and align them with the dark arts. Blood traitors of course will be taken care of..." Marcus shot a brief look at Cassius.

Alicia gave an involuntary cry, and she let her hands drop down into her face. " And what are we to do?"

Cassius knew she was speaking about their position, but the pained features on her face indicated her concern for James' safety. "We will protect him." He stated firmly.

" But its your family who is siding with this. They will want us to join!" She shot up from her seat, and Daphne grabbed her arm to keep her from lashing out again.

"Alicia...we will work this out. There is plenty of time to plan..." Daphne began ushering her towards the door. "Come on...there is nothing more we can do tonight on this matter. Why don't we head downstairs and work on the anniversary party we've been planning?" Daphne's hand was already on the doorknob as Alicia turned back to Cassius.

"Come see me when your finished here." She mumbled softly in his direction. When he nodded in response Alicia let Daphne lead her out of the room without another word.

There was an awkward silence formed between Marcus and Cassius, and neither one made an attempt to speak. With a grunt of frustration Cassius pounded his fist firmly on the desk. "I didn't want her to know!" There was another loud noise as he kicked his chair and swore under his breath.

"It's better if she learns the truth now." Marcus started feebly.

"The truth!" He laughed manically. "If I told her the truth she'd take off without bothering to say goodbye." Running his hand over his face he dropped down into the chair again. "How am I supposed to fix this?" For once his words came out strained. Not only was he strapped with the worry of his parents rejoining the Dark Arts circuit, but there was a red headed wanker roaming about his town. The information he had received back from Arnold Van Houstleich confirmed it. Weasley was nipping close at Cassius' heels.

Everything was suddenly falling apart.

Marcus, usually one to come quick with ideas, stared back without help. "You know you could just tell your parents. Its been five years. They would have to have some sort of emotion for her now. I doubt they'd do anything."

Cassius had thought about it. Once when he was very drunk he had almost let his brother know the truth about Alicia. Luckily enough he had passed out before anything was actually said. If he had really said something to his brother he doubted Alicia would be alive right now. No. He much rather let his family believe Alicia was a pureblood from a smaller community. They loved James and treated his wife with respect. A single mention of her true identity would destroy everything.

" It would have been different a few years ago, Marcus." Casually throwing a glance towards the picture of Alicia on his desk he shrugged. "A few years ago they would have possibly been understanding when there was no pending rise of a new Dark era. Now…they can taste the Dark Arts again, and my father wont be able to let that go. Not when it can be easily placed upon his fingertips." He hated to admit it, but there was more danger pressed down around them now then there was five years ago. He was able to save her once, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it again.

"What about the survivors?" Marcus blurted out " they said they were going to do some sort of incantation to locate all the pureblood survivors. If that's the case they will figure out who Alicia really is. We wont be able to hide it any longer. On the plus side Weasley will be singled out as a blood traitor and rightfully put to rest." There was a glimmer of satisfaction in Cassius' eye and Marcus grinned. If there was one thing that he knew would flame the hopes of his best mate it was the thought that Weasley could be dead within the week.

"It'd be one less thing to worry about." Cassius mumbled under his breath, and lifted his hands back to rest upon the top of his head.

If his father found out the truth about Alicia, the truth about everything, Cassius wasn't sure what would happen. There had been years of his father's life plagued by the memory of the Spinnet family, and when they had killed them his family had finally achieved that vengeance they so desperately wanted. Now there was this. He loved Alicia. She was his heart and soul, and if something was to happen to her he'd kill himself. Time seemed to be spinning out of control, and Cassius felt his grip around Alicia slip further from him. He couldn't lose her. "What can you do to slow down the process of that incantation?" Cassius, desperate for anything, began shuffling through parchment on his desk hoping to stumble across something that would help. "If I can just buy a little more time to erase Alicia's past a bit more I think we would be ok. There must be something I can do to confuse the list of names that would appear on the parchment of purebloods. Because if Alicia Spinnet shows up on there…" He choked back a determined hitch in his voice.

"I don't know how much I can actually do, but I'm certain I can convince the Zabini's to wait until after your anniversary gala. I'll tell them that by doing this now it will just interfere with what you two have been planning for so long. They wouldn't dare start something so huge if it was going to interrupt a gala of this caliber." Marcus nodded as if he was agreeing with himself. "Actually if I go grab Daphne now I can send out that owl tonight so it will arrive at the Zabini's by breakfast tomorrow. We can really put a slow down on things the sooner it goes out."

"Do it." Cassius blurted out in a demanding tone. "Do as much as you can, and while you take care of that I'm going to work on some sort of jinx that will keep Alicia's name off that list."

Together, still speaking in low voices, the men left the study and parted ways. Marcus moved down the stairs towards the entrance hall, and asked Cassius to send down Daphne when he saw her. Casting his friend a wave of understanding, Cassius moved directly towards the bedroom and swung the door open with a heavy thud. Both girls jumped slightly in their seats and stared at him with wide eyes. "Marcus is waiting for you in the entrance hall." Crossing the room he moved towards the large closet and stepped inside and out of view.

"Geez, thanks Cassius. I hope that message didn't strain you too much." Rolling her eyes at Alicia, she mouthed a goodbye and that she would be over the following afternoon.

"Bye, Daphne. Thanks a million." Alicia grinned as her friend disappeared behind the large door, and then quickly wheeled around on her husband with a frown. "Why were you so curt with her? She didn't do anything wrong. " She heard him mumble something from behind the door, and she merely quirked a brow in confusion. "What?"

"I don't want to talk about this, Alicia." He emerged from the closet wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants. "I don't wanna talk about anything that's going to get us into an argument."

The large Oh shape her mouth was in must have looked humorous because after a moment even Cassius laughed. "Did you and Marcus get pissed while you were in the study? She knew the two of them enjoyed their liquor, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with drunken behavior at the moment.

"No." He stated blandly.

She let her eyebrow arch further. "And you don't want to argue with me? Are you feeling ok?" She moved across to him and placed her hand on his forehead. A laugh escaped her lips as her fingers brushed his forehead, and suddenly as though something had pulled harshly at her gut, Alicia found herself staring into the eyes of a much younger Cassius.

They were together in some sort of tower, and he was yelling at her with such contempt in his voice. His finger pounded heavily against her chest, and she felt wet tears roll slowly down her cheeks. He has a manic sort of look in his eyes, and Alicia, trying desperately to run from the tower seemed rooted to the spot. The feeling of hatred began to overwhelm her, and as quickly as that thought came to her it vanished from her mind. She stumbled backwards.

"Alicia?" He made a grab for her, and quickly helped her back against the bed. "Are you all right, love?" She looked terribly pale, and Cassius felt a lurch of worry wash over him.

It took a moment for her to understand what had just happened. It was the second time something like this had happened within the last two days. The first time she had dismissed it as some silly daydream, but after feeling it again she was beginning to have second thoughts. Those emotions were far too real to be some horrible daydream. Her eyes somehow found their way to the concerned features on Cassius' face, and there was a deep desire to retract from him and run out of the room. What the hell was going on with her? Was she recalling parts of her memory? Lifting her hand to her own forehead, Alicia took a deep sigh and gave a short nod. "I just got dizzy so quickly, and things began to go blank." She lied. Telling him she had some awful vision like that would only bring across an argument that neither of them wanted to exchange at the present moment. Instead she softly chuckled. "Probably because you said you didn't want any confrontation tonight. I think that's the first time you ever bowed down and out to going at it with me." She smirked. "Losing your touch?"

His heartbeat had barely returned to normal, and already she was teasing him about what had just happened. The witch was crazy. Though he was almost positive he had seen her flinch when he touched her. Perhaps it was all just trickery going on inside his confused mind. "No, I have not lost my touch in battle. I can argue with you all tomorrow morning if you want me to." He shrugged. "I just wanted to apologize tonight for the things that happened earlier. For everything I said…for everything that we told you." Cassius dropped to his knees, and placed his forehead down against her thighs. "I love you. I want you to know I love you, and every thing I do revolves around you and James." He let his face rise to greet hers.

"I know you love me. " She smirked. "Even when you go all brooding on me. I know that whatever we decide to do about this situation will be the safest decision we can make. I trust you completely, love." Leaning over she planted a kiss against the top of his head, and the same funny discomforting feeling came rocketing forward. Pulling away, Alicia motioned for him to get up, and without another word she crawled towards the top of her bed and pulled the soft blankets up around her.

Cassius remained rooted for a moment before finally deciding to join her. "So…" He started uneasily. There was still an unsettling look behind her eyes, and Cassius wondered how much could be damaged just by two brief encounters with Weasley. He'd have to strengthen the charm tomorrow. " What did you talk about with Daphne?" He was surprised she didn't question his curiosity. Normally he'd have given a crap about the gala the girls were planning to throw.

"Nothing much." She rolled over on her side, doing her best to keep a gap between them. She never had to do such things before, but for some reason her subconscious told her to do so. "We decided that the party will definitely be next weekend. Daphne already sent out the invitations and such. It should be a fairly nice affair. Can you believe we've been married for five years now Cassius. Officially five years." They had been rounding up the year over the last few months, but after Saturday they would officially be together for five years. Alicia felt her stomach knot.

"I know." He shifted beneath the blankets to close to the distance between them, but frowned when she scooted a bit closer to the edge of the bed. " We deserve a party like this." His voice had lowered considerably.

Not wanting to look into his face, Alicia clutched her pillow tightly beneath her head and closed her eyes to suppress the tears. Five years. It had been five years and now suddenly thoughts and visions, strangers and emotions had blanketed over her eyes blocking out the perfect rose colored world she had been living in. Something wasn't right, and Alicia couldn't stand the disgusted feeling she was getting as she clutched even tighter to her pillow.

"Cass…I love you." She stated weakly after she felt his body toss onto the other side so their backs were now facing each other. There was a long pause which caused Alicia to swallow the sob that had formed in the back of her throat. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cassius shifted and spoke.

"Even my crooked nose…"

Silent tears began streaming down her face, and Alicia nodded though she knew he couldn't see her. "Even your crooked nose." And for the first time in five years Alicia cried herself asleep beside the man she was certain she loved, but was certain was keeping something from her.

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Well the story continues to thicken. I promise you within the next few chapters the entire truth about what happened to Alicia will be opened up. The gang will meet up with the lying Cassius, and the true horror of this story will begin to unfold. Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Lots of love to you all! 


	6. Chapter 6

Just wanted to throw out another **Thank You** to all you guys and girls who reviewed. I really love getting the feedback so thanks. Here's a little bit of info for the next chapter. It will be from James' perspective, and we will see a significant amount of particular personality traits in the little squirt. Lots of love to all of you, and please please leave me a review. I honestly thrive off the feedback.

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**Chapter 6**

" This is unbelievable!" Katie glanced between the few photo's they had collected of Alicia. Sprawled out on the table top were dozens of clippings Alicia had been featured in for all of her charity work in the small town.

Since their arrival at the Jordan house George had taken the liberty of going through every detail regarding the Alicia mystery. At first Angelina was convinced that Alicia was toying with George. There was no way she could have possibly forgotten all of the drama that had gone down between the two. During their last year at Hogwarts everyone, and that meant everyone at the school, had witnessed the drama that Alicia and George had gone through. It had almost cost them their friendship. Alicia never really forgave George for leaving Hogwarts the way he did. Hell, she had barely let Fred off the hook when he had returned to her. Still Angelina silently listened to what George was explaining. She needed some sort of understanding as to what could possibly be going on. It was after his explanation of her house fire did they all begin to see the suspicious light.

" So he kidnapped her? Then wiped her memory?" Fred, who was still dumbfounded, looked over at a very tired looking George. He had noticed since their arrival that his brother looked like he was run over by some sort of mountain troll.

"It's the only thing that makes sense to me. " George tapped lightly against his forehead in thought. " He became obsessed with her. Remember everything he put her through? How he tried to convince her that he truly was in love with her. As much as I love Alicia I know how naïve she was about him. She could have been tricked again. " He corrected himself. "She was tricked again."

The group of them nodded slowly. Angelina would never forget the day she found Alicia alone on the grounds with Cassius Warrington. She had thought she was seeing things. She was convinced that what she had just heard come out of Warrington's mouth was utter rubbish. And yet she saw Alicia eating it all up. There was something different about the look on her friends face. It was as though she was admitting something to Warrington that she had never let any of them in on. She noted the look of excitement in the eyes of her best friend, and Angelina felt betrayed. How could Alicia even stand to be near him? How could she speak to him as though they had some sort of hidden connection? After everything Warrington had done to her, to all of the Gryffindors, she felt nauseous just watching from the distance she was it. Still she didn't have the strength to yell out and stop it all from tumbling into the depths of hell. She went mute.

Then she had heard it.

_"I know your hurting because of your father, Alicia. I know because my father left my family due to the Dark arts."_ Angelina had gagged when Warrington had touched Alicia's face. Like he ever cared about her! _"Your secret is safe with me...I won't tell anyone." _And then Warrington had closed the small gap between them and kissed Alicia. It was enough to send Angelina into a blind fury. There were a dozen things that had snowballed after that night. Nothing was the same, and everything that they thought they knew about Alicia had been a lie.

She would never forget that moment, or any of the others that had reminded her of Warrington's obsession with her friend. He had been determined to stake claim of her then, and somehow after they left Hogwarts he had accomplished it. Alicia had fallen victim. How could Alicia be so stupid?

" You do remember that they did have a brief fling." Lee piped up from the couch. "Who is to say that she didn't get back together with him and ask for a memory modification?" he shrugged.

The girls shot him an appalling look. " They didn't have a fling!" Katie retorted, " he tricked her into dating him! He tricked her into breaking up with George!" Katie glared intensely at Lee, and afraid of his wife's actions he turned away and began staring out the front window.

George, who had remained awfully quiet, finally cleared his throat. He didn't much want to be reminded of those times. Alicia had broken his heart when she left him for Warrington. Sometimes when he thought back to it he still didn't understand how it had happened. One minute everything had been the way he had imagined it, and the next he was losing his lover to the one man he despised with all of his soul. Sometimes he understood why it happened. He knew she felt lost and alone. Alicia had always felt guilty about letting out problems on her friends. Still he hated to think that the one person she was able to turn to was Warrington. He had taken her from him. Granted it wasn't for long, and he had her back in his life eventually, but it still hurt. To know he was second best to Slytherin scum killed him. " Alicia was always a trusting person. There could be a dozen reasons why she is married to that slimy bastard."

"And she has a kid with him." Fred whistled under his breath.

"Gee…Thanks for the reminder Fred." George, not in the mood to think of Alicia's son, grumbled under his breath. It wasn't that he didn't like James. On the contrary he thought the kid was downright fun. In fact he found himself oddly fascinated with the kid. Still knowing that Alicia had a child with Cassius Warrington sent him into a jealous override.

"Its the truth." His brother stated firmly. "We are here to get Alicia back, but we need to also remember that she has a son with Warrington. Even if we are going to get her back we can't dismiss that fact. For Merlin's sake George she might just be happy with Cassius and her son." The idea of Alicia having any sort of sexual relation with Warrington caused Fred to grimace.

" Of course she's happy. Her memory has been wiped clean. She's been convinced that Warrington has been some damn Romeo." Angelina grabbed one of the photo's Katie was looking at. "She has had the world at her fingertips. He worships her...gives her everything. I know Alicia was never superficial in the past, but this is what she knows now. If she wasn't happy with him now, modified memory or not, she would have left him. Its as simple as that."

Silence. Between the lot of them it never registered that Alicia could actually be happy. That even if she got her memory back and remembered them she could still stay with Warrington. The thought caused Katie to sigh, and suddenly she didn't feel like looking at Alicia's pictures anymore. Katie had been there the evening Alicia told George it was over. She had watched George hand her the heart shaped locket only to get it back in his hand within the next few seconds. It was a devastating event, and Katie didn't know whether she was supposed to scream how stupid Alicia was being, or let her friend make her own mistakes.

"We still need to know. We need to try. I...I love her. I have been in love with her for nearly my entire life. I can't just step down. I thought she was dead...I won't lose her again." George wiped his right hand across his face. "I won't." His words came out desperate, and he wasn't sure if he was declaring war against Warrington or trying to convince himself that he could get her back. Either way he still needed to try. He needed to know.

Fred however understood this torment and placed an arm around his twins shoulder. " we don't plan on conceding, mate." He looked between his friends. " We want Alicia back just as much as you do."

There was a mutual nod, and Katie felt the need to get the somber looking bunch out of the cottage. "Hungry?" She questioned.

"This is why I married you. Always know when to bring up eating." Lee grinned.

"Katie's right. We should drop this right now and get some food in our system. Maybe then we will be able to think of some sort of plan." Angelina moved across the room and grabbed her coin pouch and cloak.

"We know this really nice place in town. Maybe if we are lucky we will just run into Alicia there." Katie piped up again.

"Or maybe if we are really lucky we will run into Warrington. " The glimmer of hope that surfaced on Fred's face was enough to turn the heavy moment into a much lighter one.

"Now that would be something I'd give my right arm for." Angelina returned at Fred's side and linked her fingers in with his. The group of them exchanged smirks, but kept their mouths shut. For some reason none of them could find any better way to express the anger they had towards Cassius Warrington.

There was a scuffle for the remainder of their things, and an awkward silence while doing so. For some reason no one wanted to admit that Alicia could honestly be happy with Warrington. George understood why. He had been at the very core of the drama that year when Alicia went spiraling out of control. Hell, she had been one of the key factors as to why he left Hogwarts without worry. True he had the shop with Fred to get running, but when she had secluded herself from him and the rest of the world he felt like there was nothing else he could have possibly done. He remembered. Oh how he hated to remember, but it was something he could never forget. Every now and then it would show up in his dreams and replay like some sick twisted muggle movie. He hated it.

"_Happy Birthday, Lici." He handed over a small velvet black box with a cocky grin plastered to his face. She looked at him silently and then slowly reached out to take the box within her own hand. There was a soft click and the black box opened up revealing a simple gold heart locket looped upon a delicate chain. He had spent most of his savings to get it for her knowing very well that she had been fawning over it in Hogsmeade for the last two months. He just didn't understand why she looked so upset while looking at it. "It's that locket you wanted from Hogsmeade. Remember?" He prompted her as though hoping it would jog her memory and make her smile. Why was she looking at it so funny? _

" _I - I can't …" Her words broke off and faded into the stillness of the night. _

_There was a soft crunching of leaves behind him, but George didn't bother looking over his shoulder. He honestly didn't care what may have been lurking behind him. "You can't what?" He tried to catch her eye but she had turned away so quickly. _

"_I can't accept this, George. I can't…" She held out her hand and placed the now closed velvet box into his hand again. There was another cry that slipped through her parted lips and she brushed her hand over her mouth as if trying to muffle it. _

_At first he had fallen speechless. Why was she returning something he had bought her? He loved her, and she loved him. Didn't she? "Why?" It came out so soft that he wasn't sure she would even hear it. _

"_I …George….I just can't. You don't understand. You don't know who I am or where I come from or what my family is. George I can't be with you. I can't be with anyone who doesn't understand me!" The tears she had tried to suppress were now running like waterfalls down her cheeks. He wanted to reach out and brush them away, but he knew what was coming. He knew it and he hated her for it. It was the only time he had ever felt such hatred for her. _

"_I understand you! What do you mean I don't know who you are? Alicia you've been acting so strange this entire year! What is it? Tell me and we will get through it!" He wanted to slap her wildly across the face, but couldn't bring himself to do it. If Angelina had been there she would have done it without a moments hesitation. _

"_No you don't! You don't get it, George! The scars, the bruises…the secluded life I live when I go home on holiday! You ask me all the time! You wonder where I am…don't you? Always asking me why I n ever return owls! Don't you get it!" She was screaming at him now. Her eyes were so watery he couldn't tell whether or not she could even see him standing inches from her face. "You all pretend like you know me. You think I'm some wholesome little thing that just gets good grades and plays Quidditch. You don't know! You don't know who he is! What he does!" _

_The noise behind them had grown louder, and the next thing George knew he was staring across at a tall brooding figure. "Alicia!" It was Warrington's voice that had cut through the thick moment between them. _

_Alicia glanced once between George and Cassius, and then dropped her head towards the floor. "It was my father, George. He was the one who murdered those muggles for their money. He was the one who gave me the bruises and the scar on my face. He's been the one locking me away every holiday to keep my away from filthy blood traitors." She choked. "My father…." Her voice dropped even lower, and she brought her eyes back up to his. "He was a …is a …" She didn't have to say it. He knew what she was insinuating, and George had nearly vomited at the thought. After all the years of wondering why Alicia was always so defensive. Why he always wondered where her wounds had come from. It all made sense to him now. Her father was a follower of the Dark Arts. He was a Death Eater, and Alicia was subject to misfortune all because she wasn't living in the image her father had predicted. She was a Gryffindor. She was a traitor. _

_She had told George that she had recently found a friend who lived the same sort of life she did. She had mentioned that her new friend was subject to the same things she endured. He had always expected it to be some silly girl who just had overbearing parents. He had never thought it was something this extreme. Something so horrid that he hadn't been able to pick up on it. He wasn't able to save her from it. Instead it was Warrington. He had somehow stepped between them and pushed George away like he was some sodding animal. It was Warrington who knew the truth about her all along. It was Warrington that understood her. It was Warrington that had touched her in a way that he would never be able to touch her. All because Warrington lived the same bleak life she had lived. "Come on, Alicia." Cassius took her shaking figure and began guiding her back towards the castle. The silence in the air was thick enough to suffocate anyone, and George heard Alicia gag. _

_How could she do this to him? How could she so easily walk away from him and everything they had gone through? Warrington. He had hated the bloke before but now he felt as though he'd like nothing more then to crush him with his own bare hands. "Alicia…Lici…" He had called her by that nickname so many times before and now it sounded so foreign. She didn't turn towards him. Instead it was Warrington who glanced over his shoulder and shot George a look of triumph. He had known from that split second that Warrington wasn't after Alicia because he cared about her. HE could see it in the slimy gits eyes. There was something deeper behind his motives, and George, despite his broken heart, wouldn't rest until he figured it out. _

"Is he dead?"

There was a hard punch against his arm, and George felt himself jump slightly in his place. Had he really zoned out for that long? Exchanging looks between the group of his friends he noticed that they had somehow managed to arrive at one of the smaller pubs in the town. Merlin he must have been completely out of it. Reliving those moments from his past always sent him into another realm of consciousness. "Hey…" He glanced at Fred who was winding up for another punch.

"Nope he's not dead." Lee turned towards the girls who were taking a seat at one of the back booths.

"You didn't have to hit me." George rubbed at the spot and then quickly wound back and slammed Fred in the arm. A smirk triggered at his lips and before Fred could retaliate he took off towards the booth the girls were at.

"If you two brawl right here in the pub would you mind if I did a bit of commentating?" Lee, who had already bought them drinks at the bar, chuckled as he slid in next to Katie.

"Only if you point out what a miserable punch Fred packs." George reached over for one of the spare drinks and brought it towards him.

Scowling under his breath, Fred tipped back the bottle and took a swig of the drink. "Well I'm sorry that you were off in deep space twelve, but we wanted to sit and eat. What the bloody hell were you thinking about anyway? You looked absolutely miffed."

Did he dare confess the memories that were plaguing him? It was bad enough that they had spoke so much about the past at the cottage. Listening to them sigh and moan over more hurtful moments he shared with Alicia would only send him into daze. So he shook his head as though untouched by Fred's question. "I'm just exhausted is all. I haven't really slept in the last few days since getting here. Which I still owe you a thank you for Angelina. " He smirked. "Next time you want to send me on vacation why don't you place me in a caged ring with a mountain troll." They all laughed which eased the tense emotions from earlier.

A funny looking man came scampering out from behind the bar and came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the table. While handing out a few menus he started babbling in German causing the five of them to furrow their brows in confusion. Not really sure how to handle the situation George just looked down at the menu, which was also in German, and then looked back up at Katie and Lee.

"You two lived here for almost the whole summer. Can't you speak German?" George hissed while the waiter continued to speak.

Lee, placed a hand against his chest and made a face as if he was horribly insulted. "You expected me to actually learn something while vacationing?"

"Merlin forbid…"Katie mumbled.

" I was busy practicing my flying skills and sight seeing. We usually just solved the problem by doing this." Lee turned the menu up towards the waiter and just pointed to one of the dishes. Then silently he held up five fingers and pointed to each of them. The waiter nodded, collected the menus, and hurried back off towards the kitchens. "See…it's that easy."

Angelina slapped her hand against her forehead. "What if you just ordered something completely foul?"

"Well then we know not to point to that one next time." Lee puffed out his chest proudly. Katie just shook her head and dropped her face into her hands.

"He's all yours Kates…lucky woman you are." George grinned and brought his drink to his lips again.

There was a young couple at the table beside them, and George could tell that they were arguing about something that was making the witch livid. The best part about it was they were definitely from Ireland so the thick German accents weren't a factor. He hated to take his attention away from his friends, but listening in on other peoples problems was always such a riot. Besides, when he looked back at Fred and Angelina he could tell they had caught wind of the battle across the way and were doing their best to listen in. Leaning slightly to the right, George placed his chin in the palm of his hand and began straining to hear the couples argument.

"I said I'd go with you, but I am not staying for more than an hour!" The mans voice boomed with such a determined tone that Angelina had jumped slightly in her seat.

"This is the biggest event of the year, and we have been invited as special guests! I am not going to show up at such an event and then turn and walk out before the ceremonial renewing takes place. Do you have any idea how much I would be ridiculed at work?" She was waving something frantically back and forth, and the man quickly ripped it out of her grasp.

Lee had started to listen so intently that he fell out of the booth and hit the floor causing the couple to turn towards the group of them. When Lee just smiled sheepishly they went back at each others throats as though Lee had taken away precious moments of brawling.

"Listen Eileen! I understand that this is an extremely large event for you to cover, but don't you have any idea who these people are? I don't want to be associated with the Warrington's or the Flint's. Furthermore I hear the Parkinson's will be attending, and I don't want to get myself close to anyone who thinks half-bloods should be maimed." There was a cough that rose from Fred which caused the man to shoot a look towards the booth again.

"Then you don't need to come!" Taking the pink piece of parchment that was in his hand, the woman, whom they now knew as Eileen, tore the thing in half and threw it dramatically over her shoulder. "And furthermore…" she rose from her seat, " You do not need to come home with me either. If you can't make sacrifices for me then I will find someone who can. Goodbye Liam." There was a huff, a plea from the man, and a knocked over chair before a loud clink sounded from their own table. The food had been placed in front of them, but they all had managed to get caught up in lovers quarrel.

"Rough witch." Fred muttered while poking at the brown substance with his fork. "They were here to see Warrington. I wonder what for?"

George however had his eye on the ripped up piece of parchment that was on the floor. Disregarding Katie who had asked him to pass the salt, George slipped from his seat and picked up the two torn up pieces. He read it once, and then cursed, and then read it once again. Holding a piece in each hand, George slid back into the seat and placed the pieces of parchment down on the table. "Of all the luck that could have been bestowed on us." Pointing to the words he began reading out loud.

"_You Are Cordially Invited  
To a Formal Gala _

_ Please Join Us _

_Alicia & Cassius Warrington_

_As we renew our wedding vows for our five year anniversary._

_Please bring this piece of parchment for entry" _George tapped the pieces of parchment and looked up at them. " I'm going to this."

"Yeah and I'm the King of Goblins." Fred took out his wand and charmed the invitation. It immediately mended itself and he lifted it closer to his face. "You can't go to this. If Warrington sees you he'd murder you on the spot."

"I don't care. I need to see Alicia. I need to get her out of that place! We need to talk to her, and this may be the only chance we get to do so." Leaning across the table he grabbed the invitation out of Fred's grasp. " She needs to see all of us, and if I go to this thing maybe I can get her alone for a little while."

"I think George had a point." Angelina, who was still playing with her plate of food, spoke up.

"Why thank you, Angelina." George smiled in her direction.

"But I think Katie should be the one going." She finished and placed her fork back on the table.

"What!" Both Katie and George yelled in unison.

"Hear me out before you both blow a fuse." Holding up her hand, Angelina took a sip of her drink and ran her tongue lightly over her bottom lip. "Look if George walks in there he's going to have about four seconds before Cassius, Flint or Daphne Greengrass catch sight of him. Who knows who else is going to be at this party. You heard what that witch said…even Parkinson will be there. One glimpse of George and any chance we have of speaking to Alicia will be thrown out the window. Katie on the other hand …" She turned her focus on her brunette friend, " has changed a lot since Hogwarts. You don't wear glasses anymore, and you cut your waist long hair to your chin. The blond locks are now brown and to be honest Katie you don't have that pudgy look to you anymore. If anything you'd be able to get into that party and swim under the radar a lot longer than George. You'd be able to find Alicia and talk to her. See if you can jog her memory, or even better you could get her out of the house and maybe go for a walk where we would so conveniently be waiting." Angelina nodded approval of her own idea and leaned back into her seat while the others just stared at her. "What?"

"I think that's brilliant." Lee agreed. When Katie shot him a look he put his arm around her and shook his head. "Katie just think about it. You would have such a better chance than any of us. Angelina couldn't go in there because Flint still recognizes her at Quidditch games when his team plays the Harpies. I certainly can't go because I am so devilishly good looking there is no way Greengrass would forget my face. Fred looks exactly like George so its like putting a bulls-eye target smack in the middle of his forehead…it only makes sense that you go sweetie."

"But I can't be discrete about anything!" Katie squeaked. " I can barely walk more than ten steps before I knock something over. And how am I supposed to initiate any sort of conversation with Alicia if she doesn't even remember me. Oh hey Alicia its nice to meet you by the way do you remember how we were best friends for six years? It wont work."

George sighed. "Yes it will." He didn't want to admit it, but it would work. Personally he knew he'd be better off going himself, but Katie would be less obvious in front of the familiar faces. "Katie you look a thousand times different than you did in Hogwarts. All you need to do is go in there and find Alicia. Pull he aside, pretend to be a reporter and ask her to step outside for some questions. She'll go with you. Alicia has too be a heart to dismiss your request. Just do that and we will wait outside for you. Once she's outside we can all question her…find things out."

"I just don't know." Katie looked at Lee and felt her eyes begin to well with tears. "Being sent into a house where there are potential Death Eaters and old rivals is too frightening for me to think about. What if I screw it all up?"

"Kate you are not going to screw it all up!" Angelina pushed her plate away and began rummaging in her pocket for some spare money. "Look lets pay for this brown stuff and get back to the cottage. We can work on a different look for you, and then flesh out a really good plan. The party is in a few days so we have more than enough time to figure things out. Ok?" Already placing money on the table, Angelina pushed Fred towards the side and ushered him to help her up.

"This will work, mate." Lee gave George a look when he noticed the worried expression creased on his face.

"I know it will….I just…" Following Angelina's lead, George placed money down on the table top and offered a friendly wave to the man behind the bar. "There are a hundred things going on inside my head, Lee. A hundred things that I never thought of because I didn't even think something like this was possible. There is so much we don't even know about Alicia…it's been five years mate. Five years!" Hurrying towards the door to catch up with the others, George shrugged. "Its just that all this is unraveling so quickly…and I'm afraid of how far its actually going to go." Bringing his hand up to his head, George pushed away his matted red hair. "What else are we going to learn?"

Lee shrugged and casually looked over at George. His hands were limp on the top of his head, and Lee was almost certain he could see his brainwaves moving a mile a minute. "I don't know, mate." His eyes caught sight of the odd freckle behind George's ear and he chuckled. "I mean we've already had the shock of our lives knowing she's alive and married to that prat. What else could we possibly find out that will shock us more than that?"

They were walking through the streets now, and George could tell that they were all looking at the passing people in hopes of catching sight of their sixth. He nodded at Lee's words, but remained quiet while his own eyes searched the crowded streets. A funny feeling crept up his neck and longer behind his ear for a moment causing him to reach back and scratch it away. "We'll probably get back home and I'll find out Ginny is preggers or something. That might actually kill me." He chuckled, which eased the tense look on Lee's face. Reaching back again he flicked at the freckle on his ear and followed the path back to the cottage.


	7. Chapter 7

Did I mention how much I love you guys ? Well if you haven't felt the point I really want you to know how much I love you all for your comments. I'm really satisfied with the way things are going, but it up to YOU to keep me inspired! Remember to leave me a review and let me know how you truly feel about WHYB!!!

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**Chapter 7**

The house was deathly silent. In fact it was practically frightening to be moving through the corridors when it was so still. He hoped he wouldn't get caught. There was a lot of things he was good at getting away with, but down this particular corridor there were no places to hide. If he was down on the second floor in the west corridor he could always jump behind the black velvet curtains. Behind those curtains was a hidden room he was positive no one even knew about. He had hid many times back there when he didn't want her to see him. He loved her of course, but she had a tendency of catching him in things at the wrong time. Then she would go and tell and everything would be over. Which was why he had to be very careful on the third floor. If he could make it to the end of the corridor and slip down the next he could always make a dash for the attic. Though the attic reminded him of the haunted house they visited last summer, and the trouble he had gotten into their had given him a sore bottom for a week. Just thinking of it made his bottom hurt so he avoided it like the plague.

Slowly his tiny feet carried him past the guest bedroom, and closer to the office. It was prime work time, and within the next few minutes she would be coming out into the corridor and rushing to the small makeshift owlry at the end. He had just enough time to test out his latest invention. Of course James knew that as soon as he tested it he was likely to be punished for the next few days but it was worth it. Anything to get under Aunt Daphne's skin was worth it. Last week he had politely brought her a cup of tea which he had spiked with a color-all tablet he made with his potion kit. Watching Aunt Daphne scream while she turned different shades of blue had be an absolute laugh riot. He was positive his father had thought so too, but when he was sent to his room without any desert he knew otherwise. It wasn't like he wanted to get his father upset with him, but he just couldn't help it that Aunt Daphne always accepted his presents. She was awfully gullible.

There was only a few more steps before he passed the office, and when he heard the muffled voices from behind the door he sucked in his gut and held his breath. This was always the worst part. Sometimes, though very few times, he'd make a peep and get caught outside the door. It was at these moments he had to pretend that he was just visiting his father, but most of the time he was able to get past the office without a problem. Once he had even set up a set exploding snap cards right outside the office and nearly gave what Aunt Daphne had called, an aneurysm.

Today was a special day to say the very least. He had been working very hard on a few new things with his potions kit late last night when his mummy and dad were fast asleep. Oh he knew how much trouble he would have been in if they ever caught him, but he knew he was safe last night. He had heard his parents having a good row right before he closed his door. Whenever they went at it like that he knew they'd just yell for hours before falling asleep. Once they were asleep after a row they never came out of the room. Once or twice he had heard an odd sort of banging of the bed against the wall, but he had figured his mummy was just having a bad dream. After all she usually was yelling pretty loud and screaming things like 'Oh Merlin no!' and ' Don't stop!'. So while his parents had been busy yelling last night he snuck to the back of his closet and began mixing together a nifty disappearing potion. He had only gotten it to make his torso disappear, but it was still as funny as ever. It wasn't every day you were a bobbing head and a set of legs.

There was a grunt of anger behind the door of the office, and James paused again and held his breath. A few steps were audible right behind the door, and he closed his eyes hoping that no one would be opening the door this early. He wasn't even close to ready yet! When the door remained shut he quietly let out the breath and began taking soft steps again past the door.

"You don't know if they will find out, Cassius." He knew that voice! That was Uncle Marcus! Why didn't anyone tell him that Uncle Marcus was coming over after lunch?

"Of course they will. As soon as that list of names is complete her name will be right there. It will be at the top of the list, and my parents will know she is alive. That she isn't who I told them she was." Why did his Dad sound so upset? Normally his father was very serious when he was working, but it didn't sound like he was serious at all. In fact it almost sounded like he had been crying.

"Come on, mate, think about this logically. Alicia has been your wife for nearly five years. You honestly think, the past or not, that they would just turn those memories over and finish what they had started so long ago?" Uncle Marcus' voice was so close to the door that James could hear the soft clicking he was making with his tongue.

"Plus she has given them James. They love him. They would never do anything." Aunt Daphne sounded like she was chewing something, and James knew he only had a little more time before she came out and went to the owlry. Still he couldn't move from the spot. Why were they talking about his Mummy like they were worried about her? Was something wrong with her? Was she sick?

"You don't know my parents…you don't know the rage my mother held for the Spinnets after my father left us. Both my parents despised the family, but my mother…she'd go after blood. Grandson …daughter-in-law…it doesn't matter. She'd look at James only as the blood of his mother, and Merlin forbid she ever learn the truth about him." There was another shuffle of feet, and this time the handle on the door jiggled slightly.

James, who had been transfixed on the door, was suddenly sparked out of it, and he quickly made a dash for the owlry. What were they talking about? Was something going to happen to his Mummy? He had watched her take a potion after lunch to help her take a nap, but she had promised him that she wasn't sick. Did she lie? His feet carried him past the oil painting of Sir Trom Graydawl, the first wizard to travel to space, and right into the small owlry. He didn't waste any time running over to the small window across the room and removing the vial from his pocket. He heard the door slam from outside the room and knew it was Aunt Daphne on her way into the owlry to send off the daily reports.. Popping the cork he downed the silvery contents without blinking an eye and tossed the vial across the room and into a hay pile that they often used to line the cages. Immediately his torso began fading, and he sprawled out on the floor and began whimpering. Sometimes playing jokes on Aunt Daphne was so much fun.

The doorknob turned, and Daphne stepped inside with her nose buried in the parchment. If he didn't make a noise it was likely she wouldn't even noticed him lying there. " Au-Au-Aunt….Daph." He stammered his words and waited for the woman to lift her head from whatever it was she was reading.

"What Jam- Oh my Merlin!" Her scream was so deafening he wondered if it woke his mother on the floor below. "Oh my oh my oh my….James what happened to you! Are you all right? Where is your body? Oh my gods, are you ok? Honey are you hurt? In pain? Can you move?"

It took all of his strength not to burst into a fit of giggles. The look on her face had been everything he had anticipated, and her frantic reaction was like an added bonus. "I was just coming in to…to feed Squall and I felt…I felt so weak Aunt Daph…so " He let his head roll to the side and he coughed. " weak…" It was a good thing he closed his eyes because by her constant blabbering he was sure he'd had lost it. Merlin he was a good little actor. One time when he had finished playing one of his usual pranks on Aunt Daphne she had stated that he was just like his father. It was something he had been excited about, and proud of at the same time. If his father was good at fooling people then James promised himself that one day he would be the best.

"What's going on?" The door to the owlry swung open and inside stormed a very worried looking Marcus and an even angrier Cassius.

James peaked out of one eye and mentally groaned. He was going to be in so much trouble after this. His father had said the next time he was caught pulling anything on Aunt Daphne he was going to be forced to clean not only his own bedroom, but the entire master bedroom for his Mummy. Without any magic!

"James Arthur Warrington!" His father's voice was the demand for him to open his eyes, and James did so without waiting for another order. "What in Merlin's beard have you done."

"Oh Cassius, the boy is sick! Can't you see?" Daphne, in tears, was grabbing onto Marcus, who was actually laughing quite uncontrollably.

"He isn't sick, Daphne." Cassius spat, "Are you son?"

He didn't want to actually admit that he was ok. He wondered exactly what would happen if he just continued playing this off. Would his father take him to the hospital, or would he let him go to his room and play with toys all evening until he felt better? The choices weighed heavily in his mind, and he would have continued deliberating if his father didn't clear his throat. "Well…" His eyes moved towards the pile of hay, and Marcus took the opportunity to step away from Daphne and bend down over the hay.

"An empty vial?" He brought the thing glass vial out from the hay pile and handed it over towards Cassius. "How did this empty vial get in the hay?" Marcus smirked.

"Well…well….see….Squall dropped it on me. Yeah…" James felt his eyes light up. " I came in here to give her some treats, and she had the vial in her mouth. When I asked her for it she threw it at me. It musta had some potion in there to make me disappear." He looked down at the area that was missing and let his mouth hang open. "What a nasty thing that was for Squall to do. Shame on you, Squall." He pointed his nose up towards the tawny owl. Squall merely gave an insulted hoot, and flew up to one of the higher perches.

"James." Cassius didn't have to push for the truth to come out. He knew by just giving James that look he'd spill the truth.

"Well…maybe it wasn't exactly like that." He was speaking so fast that he hadn't even noticed that his body was returning. " I mean maybe I didn't come in here and find Squall with the vial. Maybe I sorta had it in my pocket and maybe I sorta drank it and maybe I sorta did it to scare Aunt Daphne." At this confession Daphne huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "Heh…shame on me?"

"I want you to go to the closet down in the east corridor and find the things you will need to clean your room with. After that you will go to the master bedroom and clean it for your mother. When you are finished with those things I will make you some supper." Cassius shot Marcus a look which stopped the soft laughing that was coming from his friend.

"But Dad!" Pushing himself to his feet, James placed his hand on his now visible stomach and groaned. "It's so late already and I just ate lunch! I'm supposed to nap." He knew there was no point in trying to protest, but he decided to give it a shot. It was worth it if he was able to weasel himself out of such a punishment.

"To the closet and off to work. I told you this last time, James, so don't make it seem like you weren't warned." Cassius watched as the tiny figure began moving towards the door. "And do not disturb your mother. She's sleeping, but the potion she took shouldn't cause her to wake, but be quiet while your in there."

James nodded mutely and slipped through the small opening in the doorway. He hated getting caught, and what was worse he was only able to trick Aunt Daphne for a total of twenty seconds. Why did she have to scream so loud? If she had just started crying, or babbling on about how worried she was he could have milked out that prank for a solid ten minutes. "Stupid chores." He mumbled to himself and took the staircase down two at a time to the second floor.

What did they expect him to do when his Mummy was asleep? It wasn't like he had any friends over that he could play with, and the toys in his room were boring unless his Mum was playing with him. Maybe what he needed was a younger brother. If he had someone else to always play with he wouldn't have the time to get into so much trouble. It was something to consider and he promised to ask his Mummy if he could have a baby brother for his next birthday. Either that or allow Uncle Adrian and Aunt Millicent to move in with Evan and Druella. Then he would have two young kids to play with all the time. Sure Evan was a snot nosed git once in awhile because he was seven, but Druella was always fun to play with. She was only two months older than James and they always had fun together.

Stomping down the corridor towards the closet, James began thinking of the different ways he could clean the room. He hated doing things without magic, but if he was caught with any wand he'd be in even more trouble than he already was. Maybe then the best way to go about his punishment would be to clean the larger room first. If he did a really good job on the master bedroom maybe his Dad wouldn't make him clean his own room. He'd be so proud that James did an excellent job in the larger room that he'd let the rest of the punishment go. Now that was a plan that couldn't possibly fail. His Dad was a reasonable man. Besides if he was really lucky his Mum would wake mid-cleaning session and tell him he didn't have to finish the rest. One of his favorite things about his Mum was the way she let him get away with his pranks sometimes. She thought they were funny and most of the time harmless. Whenever his father punished him his Mum always found ways to help him get out of it. His Mum was the greatest. In fact the thought of everything she did for him became so overwhelming he opened up the closet and began grabbing everything he could. He wanted to clean the master bedroom for her. She deserved a day off from things and because he loved her so much he was going to do a really good job.

With the essential things in his arms, James began whistling a funny little tune he had learned the other day from Mr. George. It was something that he had sworn he heard his Mum whistle before, but when he asked her later on that evening about it she said she couldn't recall. James liked it. It was happy and had a fun little beat that made his lips vibrate when he whistled. Maybe if his Mum was feeling better in the morning she'd take him to the museum and they'd see Mr. George again. James liked Mr. George a lot. There was something about him that made James feel like he knew him for a very long time. Plus he had bought him the giant lollipop he had wanted so badly. He was a funny redheaded man, and James had a hunch that if he were to pull a prank on Mr. George that Mr. George would think it were really funny.

"Mummy?" James, right outside the door of the master bedroom, tapped lightly on the wood frame and waited for an answer.

When nothing came from behind the door, James managed to rearrange the things in his arms and open the door without dropping a single thing. The room was fairly lit, and James looked over to see the body of his Mum passed out upon the green and gold silk sheets. She didn't look too sick. Did she? Actually she looked sorta peaceful just lying there with her hair falling over her eyes. James had always thought his Mummy was the prettiest in all the town, but sometimes he looked at her and thought she was too good to even be compared to the other Mummy's around town. She was his most favorite thing, and James smirked. If it had been anyone else he would have set up some foul little prank to go off and scare the person awake. He couldn't do that to his Mum. He had never played a prank on her. There was something he had always felt so guilty about if he even thought about doing something to her. Usually the furthest he would go was to hide her wand, and he only did that because she'd let him try wandless magic to bring it back.

Placing the duster, the polish and the pail on the floor, James stepped across the room and began moving a few of the cluttered items out of his way. He knew if he stacked them neatly to one side he'd only have to move the perfect stack instead of ten little things. He did this rather quickly and then went back for the duster. He was just about to work when mumbled words came from his Mum's mouth. Cocking his eyebrow up, James placed the duster down and turned towards the bed.

She was lying there on her back with her hair still covering a good portion of her face. Her right arm was flopped over the side of the bed while the rest of her was shifted slightly to the other side. The gold locket she wore hung perfectly in the center of her neck, and James squinted at the thing as a funny question popped into his head. What was in that locket? It was one of those items his Mummy always wore, and yet he had never seen her open the locket. What did she keep in there? Glancing towards the door, James waited a moment to see if his Dad would suddenly appear out of thin air. Sometime it was like the man had a monitor placed on James so he'd know exactly when he was about to do something he wasn't supposed to.

"Yule Ball…" His Mum giggled, and moved slightly in her sleep. James shook his head at her sudden outburst and took a tentative step towards the bed. "You can't seriously be wearing that…" She laughed again, and this time her right arm flopped back over her body and rested comfortable against her stomach.

"Yule Ball?" James scrunched his nose. He had never heard of a Yule Ball before. The gap between himself and the bed was almost gone, and when his knees hit the plush mattress he let a soft gasp slip out. Again he looked towards the door wondering if his Father was nearby or if he went back to work in the office with Uncle Marcus and Aunt Daphne. When no one came, James placed his hands down on the mattress and pushed himself up onto the soft cushion.

"Two Outstandings, Two Exceeds Expectations…I failed Herbology."

Again he looked at his Mum like she were crazy, and came to a halt next to her head. Going about the locket the right way was crucial. If he made a rough movement it could completely ruin everything, and yet on the other hand if he did it quickly enough maybe she'd just stay asleep. Suddenly he wished he had enough time to run across to his room and get some of the Slumber Dust his Grandmother had given him last Christmas. A few sprinkles on the eyelids and you were guaranteed a steady nights rest. Reaching out with his right hand, James felt his fingers brush along the top of the locket. The funny thing was that it felt like nothing like he imagined. He had figured it would be the same temperature as his mother seeing it was resting against her, but when his fingers grazed it the locket was icy cold. Too cold.

Shrugging it off, he reached out his other hand and quickly pulled the tiny little latch at the bottom of the locket. It didn't budge. Again he gave another little pull and dropped it when his Mum mumbled something about 'Hogsmeade'. Why wasn't it opening? Turing the locket over in his hand he looked at the back and narrowed his eyes at the tiny little designs. It didn't look like the locket had ever been broken. Maybe it was just so old that it was stuck. "But how…" Biting on his lower lip, James glanced over his shoulder towards the night stand behind him. He knew what he was looking for. He had seen it sitting there a million times. He had hid it a million times, and his Mum even let him practice with it a million times. Her slender oak wand sat in its usual spot practically beckoning him to take it. It wasn't like he was going to do anything harmful with it. All he wanted to do was see what was in the locket. He had seen his Mummy rub the locket between her fingers so many times he had always figured there was something important inside of it.

Leaning over, James reached out and grabbed the wand with his tiny little hands. It always felt so strange when he held it, and still he knew he couldn't wait for the day his parents sent him to Durmstrang. As soon as he walked through those doors he could cast whatever spells he wanted! He could prank whomever he wanted, and best of all he could get away with everything because from what he had read Durmstrang was so big that there were hidden rooms everywhere. Twirling the wand once in his hand, James tapped it against the side of his head while he tried to recall the charm his Mummy had taught him. He knew it sounded something like 'Almamora' but he didn't think that that was actually it. Maybe it was Almamora. He had second guessed himself before on many things and it always turned out that he was right. It had to be Almamora!

He took a deep breath and pointed the wand down towards the locket. Any second now and he was going to see what was in the locket. He hoped there was a picture of him in the locket. It would be very disappointing to do all of the troublesome work he was doing only to find out the locket was empty. Closing his eyes James tapped the locket with the top of the wand and said it. "Almamora." For a brief second he opened his eyes and frowned when nothing happened. Then it happened.

It happened so quickly he didn't know what to do! His Mum, one hand clutching her head and the other the locket, shot bolt upright in the bed and began screaming at the top of her lungs. It wasn't any normal screaming either. It was this gut wrenching excruciating scream that immediately caused James to start bawling. What had he done?

"Mummy!" He grabbed at Alicia's arms, but she was so lost within the screams that she didn't even acknowledge his existence. "Mummy! I'm sorry! Stop crying …stop screaming!" The young boy's voice was frantic, and Alicia still continued to scream as though someone were hitting her with a thousand curses.

"He killed them! He did it! And me….and me…..and me! Stop! I love him! Stop it Daddy! Stop! Stop!" Her screams went on. " Oh my god…" Then a wail erupted from her mouth that caused James to cover his ears. "George. Oh my god ….oh god."

He wasn't sure when it happened, but Uncle Marcus had somehow managed to lift his defeated figure from the bed. "James what happened?" Marcus was speaking calmly, but James took note to the desperate look in his Uncle's face.

He couldn't answer. All he could do was watch his Father lean over his Mummy and take the locket in his hand. Her screams were deafening, and James cringed when he saw his Mum slap Cassius' hand away from the locket.

"You! You! You!" She was out of control, and James quickly buried his head in the crook of Marcus' neck. He didn't like seeing his Mummy so sad, and in so much pain.

There was a bright flash, and Cassius, who James had been watching intently, cast another charm on the locket. He blinked. His Father had cast the charm on the locket, and not his Mummy. Why? It didn't seem to matter much because it must have worked. The charm seemed to ease the yelling, and suddenly as though nothing had happened at all. Alicia went silent and fell back against the mound of pillows. There was an eerie silence in the room, and letting out a staggered breath, Cassius turned towards James and Marcus and crossed the room.

"I am not going to be mad with you, James. I just need you to tell me what happened to Mummy when you were in here. It is very important." There were beads of sweat running down the sides of his fathers face, and James wiped at the tears that had been pouring from his eyes.

He didn't want to tell his Father what he did! If he actually admitted to touching the wand he knew he'd be in even bigger trouble then he was earlier. He looked over towards his Mummy and heaved a big sigh from the middle of his chest. He didn't want to say anything, but the reassuring hug from Uncle Marcus, and the thought of helping his Mummy was enough to set him straight. "I just wanted to see what was in the locket. I was curious…but it wouldn't open." He gasped as a choked sob came out of his throat. "I couldn't open it so I used Mummy's wand and did the Almamora charm." Sniffling back his runny nose, James looked up at Uncle Marcus and hugged him. "I didn't mean to hurt Mummy. I love her. I just wanted to see is all…"

Cassius, who had been very patient, finally stood up and looked down at his wife. Her face was contorted slightly, and he knew that once James left the room he would have to go over the locket with a few more charms to be sure that it was sealed. Still he couldn't find himself mad at the boy. The scared look in his eyes was enough to let Cassius know that his son would not be so flighty with wands again. "I understand. " When James looked at him confused, Cassius laughed. " I know you like to discover new things, and we all can't deny that you like to get into trouble…" This caused James to smile which brought a comforting feeling to Cassius. "but you need to really start thinking about your actions, James. What if you had seriously hurt Mummy? What if the charm you said was really wrong, and you harmed her?" He noticed the quivering lip, and placed his hand on James' shoulder. "I'm not mad at you, but you need to know that you can't do everything you think you can. All right?" James nodded. " I'm going to have to punish you, but I wont do that until Mummy wakes up so I can talk to her. Ok?"

James nodded again and looked down at his Mummy. His Dad was being awfully fair with him considering what had just happened. He hadn't meant for his Mummy to get hurt like that, but she had, and James had intently listened to his Fathers words. He would not be playing around with wands any more unless he was supervised by an older witch or wizard. If anything had happened to his Mummy he would have cried every day for the rest of his life. "Can I hug Mummy before I go to my room?" James slipped from Marcus' lap and scooted over beside her. His father nodded, and James leaned over and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I love you, Mum." Kissing her forehead, James then slipped from the bed and stood by the large door leading out to the corridor.

"You may go to your room and sit there for the rest of the day. I will have one of the elves bring you supper which you will eat in your room. This is not your punishment so don't look at me as though you are getting off easy." Cassius lowered his gaze which caused James to shift uncomfortably. " When I next see you I will have your punishment settled."

"You aren't going to tuck me in goodnight?" There was a trace of disappointment in James' voice, and he kicked at the ground as though this was far worse then any other punishment available.

Catching the hint of sadness in James' voice, Cassius shook his head and sighed. He was planning on letting the child go to sleep without knowing the comfort of being tucked in for the evening, but seeing the look of sorrow in his eyes changed his mind. After everything James had witnessed the least Cassius could do was offer the boy the reassurance that he still loved him. "No, I'll be there to tuck you in tonight." The flicker of relief in James' eyes caused Cassius to bite back the urge to smile. Though this was almost impossible as James rushed over to him and kissed him on his cheek.

"I love you too, Dad." He wrapped his tiny little arms around his father's neck and squeezed with all his might. "I'm really really sorry, and when Mummy wakes up tell her I love her too and I'm sorry." Pulling away James looked up at Marcus and waved. "Night Uncle Marcus."

"What no love for me? Your favorite Uncle?" This statement caused the boy to burst out into hysterics as he opened up the door and left the two men and his mother in the bedroom. "Goodnight squirt!"

For a while the two of them sat silently on the edge of the bed. Marcus had to admit that Alicia looked completely defeated lying there with the twisted expression still on her face. What had she felt when that locked was opened? And was it the messed up charm, or the actual release of the memories that ailed her? Cassius had to have been thinking along the same lines because when Marcus looked up at his friend his face was scrunched up in confusion.

"It had to be the mis-charm." Cassius stated firmly. "There is no way the wards I placed on that thing would have caused her to react to it that way. There is no other reason." He didn't want to believe that what he had done to her had harmed her in any way. The only comforting thought was believing that the charm James had used caused a counter reaction to the wards and put Alicia into a series of painful moments.

"Are you sure? Or are you just saying this to ease the worry?" Marcus looked between Alicia's stone face and Cassius blank one. When had this entire thing start to unravel?

"No I'm positive." Though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Pulling his wand out again, Cassius leaned over Alicia and tapped the locket. There was a pause, and then a deep red glow wrapped around the gold locket and faded as though it were absorbed into the piece. "I do know that James is becoming less and less like a Warrington and more like - " He paused, unable to bring himself to actually say it.

Marcus frowned and removed himself from the plush bedside. "Don't be ridiculous. That boy has more of you in him then anyone else. He is an image of you through and through." Cassius looked at him knowingly, and Marcus sighed. "Ok maybe recently he seems a bit more…out of character, but what do you expect. It's in the child's blood. It was in her blood. Alicia was the most curious person we knew back at Hogwarts…well besides Potter."

Cassius reached over and brushed a few fallen hairs from Alicia's face. Why did he fall in love with her so? He hated her and loved her at the same time, and yet still couldn't bring himself to just let her go. Merlin how he had loathed her in Hogwarts! The perfect little specimen that everyone looked at for advice and such. Then he had found out the truth behind her deep sad eyes. Oh how that day had been sweet precious victory. How he had owled his brother and told him of the plans he had to take down the only Spinnet child. It had run so smoothly in his head, but what he hadn't planned on was actually feeling sorry for her when he told her the truth. What he had witnessed when he broke her heart was something that stuck with him every day that year. It took him awhile to realize how much he actually cared for her. It wasn't until the end of the school year that he tried pursuing her again. She had turned him away and declared him nothing more then Slytherin scum. She had gone back to Weasley, and Cassius had actually been hurt. The wave of emotions she put him through caused a mad ride of love and hate, but deep inside of him he knew that she was someone who understood him to levels far beyond his own mind. He had never known anyone to be so loving and at the same time so strong despite being defeated time and time again. Alicia was a fighter, and he loved that about her. He only wished she had seen it within herself all those years ago in Hogwarts.

"Cassius…." She murmured suddenly causing him to stiffen slightly. Had she heard him utter the charm against her locket? Glancing at Marcus, the man stood and mouthed that he was going to check on James. He had closed the door behind him no more than a second before she shifted on the bed. Her eyes flickered for a moment, and she opened them to reveal those dark green eyes.

Sometimes when he looked into those eyes he recalled the first time he had taken her. It had been unexpected to say the very least, but when she willingly took him into the deserted room of requirement he couldn't dismiss her. Even though he had hated her then he had wanted her. He took her. Every ounce of anger and hatred left bruises across her body, and Cassius vividly recalled the whimper of pain and pleasure that slipped through her parted lips. "Yes?" His thumb ran smoothly across those same lips and she turned to rest her head against his leg.

"Why aren't you working?" She stretched, and the thin material of her shirt caused his eyes to draw away from her face and down toward the rise and fall of her breast. The locket hung there perfectly as though nothing had just happened. The charm had worked fine.

"Finished." She brought her hand up to his chin and let out a throaty laugh. She looked tired, and he assumed it was from the sudden release of all those memories. He would have to modify James' mind slightly. If the boy mentioned anything in regards to what had happened Alicia would be bursting with questions. He couldn't have that. " You should keep napping. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I have a slight headache…I suppose that medi-potion I took earlier didn't work." She laughed again, and tugged at the collar of his shirt. When his face reached her level she kissed him.

Cassius could have stayed against her like that for days. If there was anyway to stop time and keep her with him in this moment he would have. Something in his gut told him things were slowly changing. All the signs pointed to it. "Don't open your eyes." He ushered against her lips, and she kept them closed long after he pulled away from her kiss. She was asleep again within seconds, and the hand that had been holding tightly to his collar fell limp against her chest. It hit the gold locket with a tiny clink, and Cassius reached out and took the piece of jewelry into his own hand.

It amazed him out one silly little piece of jewelry held the balance between everything. It symbolized so much of Alicia's life, and she didn't even know what existed beyond the tiny latch that held it together.

"Everything is going to change." He muttered quietly, placing the locket back down and glancing at the door. A few rooms over he knew James was probably asking Marcus a thousand questions about what had happened to Alicia. The boy was as curious as she had been when she was in school, and Cassius glanced down longingly at his wife again. If only she had loved him the very same way she had loved Weasley. If only she had been able to give him what she had blessed Weasley with.

Rising from the bed, Cassius reached for Alicia's wand and placed it carefully on one of the higher shelves. He did not need another reenactment of what had happened merely ten minutes ago. Granted he was almost one hundred percent sure that James would never step inside the room again he couldn't be too careful. Reaching the door he pulled on the knob and stepped out into the cool vacant corridor. Voices could be heard down towards James' room, but instead of heading in that direction he found himself heading back to his office. There had to be some way to keep Alicia safe from the truth. He needed to keep searching! Time on the Zabini project was running thin, and Cassius, someone who had witnessed so much horror in his own childhood, couldn't dare think about the horror that would rise if Alicia's true identity was revealed. A violent gag had formed somewhere in his throat, and when he reached his office he quickly grabbed a large book from his shelf and began processing everything he possibly could. It didn't matter what things were going to change, or what things were going to happen. He'd save her again if he had to. He promised himself that much.


	8. Chapter 8

Once again thanks so much for reading this. Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but its rather lengthy for me and it took a bit of time to work it the way I wanted to. I hope you all forgive me. Please if you have the time leave a review for me. It really brings up my spirits to know what people think. Thanks so much! Love to you all!

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**Chapter 8**

The main ballroom off the west corridor of the Warrington house was decorated with no worries of expense. Cassius had informed Alicia that their anniversary was something that no price should be placed upon, and told her specifically to make it as extravagant as possible. Alicia had of course agreed to make the Gala something people would talk about for ages. That of course was before she went to the museum that afternoon and ran into George Weasley. The Gala had become second in her life of priorities. So what else was one to do during such a stressful moment? Daphne had taken care of everything. She wasn't sure whether it was Alicia just being herself, or the sudden influx of problems, but she hadn't been too excited on planning. It was hard enough for Daphne to even get Alicia to get her dress robe altered let alone pick out the food that would be served during the cocktail hour. Daphne didn't mind much. On the contrary she enjoyed doing the extra work for her friend, and often looked forward to gathering prices, setting up appointments, or pampering herself the day of the actual party. Hell, she deserved it.

So when she entered the main ballroom the night of the party she was dressed to kill. A strappy form fitting red dress fit nicely over her rather toned body. She was certain Marcus was going to flip his lid when he saw her. Last time she had worn something this sexy he had taken her to the broom closet and the two had been missing for nearly three hours. She was pulling for that to happen again.

"You went all out, Daphne." Cassius appeared suddenly at her side, and immediately she noticed the dashing dress robes he had pulled out for the occasion. They were jet black, but the trim was hinted with a dark shade of green that accentuated the deep eyes that Alicia often swooned over. He had even gone as far as brushing his mess of black hair that usually sat in his eyes. There was something odd about how well he had cleaned up, and Daphne gave him the once over again before shrugging. He was probably just trying to keep Alicia interested in him for the evening and not on the thought of that redheaded pauper.

"For your five year anniversary..." She beamed, "of course I'd go all out for you. " Leaning forward she kissed Cassius lightly on the cheek. " plus I did do most of the work." There was a glimmer of disappointment in his eyes, and Daphne sighed. " She's just been a bit off lately Cassius. No worries."

Cassius merely grunted. " Its our anniversary, Daphne. She should have been excited about setting the Gala. I can't even imagine my mothers reaction if the woman finds out Alicia didn't plan any of it." He hated his mother's traditional ways, but it was pureblood tradition that was supposed to be followed during these events.. The wife was supposed to be involved with every aspect of the present Gala. Alicia, according to Daphne, had barely lifted a finger. A year ago she would have been the perfect model of a wife, but as soon as she had laid eyes on her former lover everything had been swept away. Never again would he have the Alicia he had been with for the last five years. She was something so distant now that Cassius almost felt guilty keeping her mind under lock and key.

" Oh your batty mother won't learn a single thing." She rolled her eyes. " You need to calm down and have a drink or something." She motioned towards the bar where two servers were quietly setting up for the Gala. Daphne had managed to get a good price on caterers so she had upped the service for the evening and hired two bartenders to see to the guests. The drunker she got the easier it would be to pal around with the high society nitwits she was going to have to play pretend with. "Go on grumpy…" She waved at the bar, and the handsome looking wizard behind it winked back at her.

Again Cassius grunted, but instead of arguing he moved towards the bar and had the bartender pour him a glass of straight Firewhiskey. It wasn't as though he was nervous about the Gala, but more that he was nervous for his mother to see Alicia and James. It had been a few years since he had last invited his family over, and at that time Alicia's hair had been shorter and James' features didn't resemble another mans. He knew his mother cared for Alicia, and he was certain of her love for James, but the last time she had come by she had inquired about the way James' ears stuck out, and why his eyes were a deep icy blue rather than Alicia's deep hazel green or Cassius' dark brown. He had made up some little note about how children's eyes within the first few years could be blue and then suddenly change. For his own mental sanity his brother had actually agreed that he had heard something to that extent and his mother let the argument go.

Today was going to be different. Today he would have to explain why James had suddenly sprouted freckles when neither of them had a freckle on their body. He'd have to explain why the boy's dark brown hair was turning slightly auburn at the edges. He could have easily charmed James for the night, but it took to much effort to get him in a room, charm him, and then modify his memory for a few hours. He would just have to hope that his mother would be too preoccupied with guests to actually look at her 'grandson'.

"Where is the blushing wifey?" Daphne approached his side and tapped her finger on the bar. A reddish drink seemed to appear right in front of her.

Cassius glanced once at the smirking bartender, and once at Daphne and shook his head with a deep chuckle. "And you worry about Marcus straying away…" He choked back another laugh. " She said she wasn't feeling well earlier so she took a nap. She's getting ready now I suppose…or at least I hope." He wondered briefly what would happen if she didn't show up for their own anniversary gala. He could only imagine the uproar it would bring across the Warrington family.

" She's going mental that girl." Spinning on her heel Daphne began across the ballroom and called back over her shoulder. "Greet your guests, or better yet put Marcus at the door. I'll be down with your wife and son in a bit." She chuckled, and then turned the corner and moved down the far corridor towards the main staircase. There was a muffled yell that sounded a lot like 'hurry your arse up', and Daphne threw back her head in manic laughter. What in the world had gotten into her this morning? Even when she left the house to apparate to the Warrington's she felt fantastic…and she hated apparating! "Must be the free drinks I'll be throwing back all night." She was notorious for being a party girl back at Hogwarts, and things hadn't changed since then. When it came down to it she was ready to kick back and out drink even the burliest man.

Her feet landed on the second floor, and she turned to her left and headed down the short corridor towards Alicia's master bedroom. She could already picture her dark haired friend sitting on the edge of her bed in some sort of fancy slip while fixing the buttons on James' dress robe. Sure enough when she reached the door and let herself in Alicia was sitting at the vanity fixing the collar of James' robe. Of course Daphne hadn't accounted for the whining coming from James, nor the fact that Alicia wasn't even close to being ready for the Gala. Her hair was still in rollers, and her makeup had yet to be applied. When her eyes rose to meet Daphne's there was a labored sigh, and a scream as James pulled away from his mother's grasp and moved towards Daphne. "James…you look rather dashing tonight." She bent down to plant a kiss on his cheek but instead he stuck out his tongue and rushed out the door. "What the hell is his problem? No hot date for the evening?" Rising back up she looked over at a very stressed Alicia.

"He hates dressing up in that thing. It took me almost an hour to get him into it." She sighed, and began removing the rollers from her hair. In the reflection of the mirror she could see Daphne coming up behind her, and let her hands drop down as her friend began removing the rollers for her. "Thanks."

"You do know that the Gala starts in less than a half hour?" She quirked a brow.

Alicia rolled her eyes. "You think I'm up here running late for my health. Esme is going to have my head that I'm not down stairs greeting guests. For some reason that woman has been up my arse lately, and every time I tell Cassius he just gives me the same old mother speech." She shrugged. " I havent seen the woman in three years. Why does she feel it necessary to give me such a hard time."

Daphne choked back on her own words causing Alicia to glance up through the reflection again. "She's old, Alicia. She's old and has been married to William for almost a half century. I'd be cranky too." This caused Alicia to chuckle, and Daphne felt the dread lift for a moment. "There." She pulled out the last roller and grinned at the bouncy dark brown curls. "These are fun." She pulled at one of the curls and watched as it sprung right back into place.

"Leave it…" Alicia stood from the vanity and sauntered across the room towards the bed. She had chosen a deep green dress robe to match the accents on Cassius' attire, but now felt as though the dress was far to flashy. The neckline plunged to a deep v-shape which stopped right at the top of her breasts. The bodice was form fitting in an old fashioned corset style, and was dusted with a few black gems. Once it reached the waist line it fanned out elegantly into layers of flowing silk. Cassius had specially picked it out from some wizard he did business with in Japan, but she felt far too exposed to wear it out in front of people she barely knew. Cassius seeing her in something clingy was one thing because the result was often a nice two hour shag. To have someone else lay their eyes on her in something so risky would make her feel like…well like Daphne.

"I can't wear this." She grimaced as the dress came down over her head and Daphne adjusted it.

"Like hell you can't. This dress is beautiful. If you don't wear it you will insult Cassius, and deprive yourself of having a stellar shag tonight." Daphne smirked. "Why do you think I dress like this so often…it drives Marcus insane." A soft chuckle escaped her, and Daphne tugged lightly on the back of the dress so it sat in the right place.

Immediately Alicia felt her fingers go to her locket, and absentmindedly she began running it between her thumb and index finger. Daphne's eyes were drawn to the movement's, and after a moment of watching Alicia comfort herself with that security locket she touched her friends shoulder and ushered her towards the mirror. She didn't have to say a single thing because once Alicia saw her reflection Daphne knew there would be no possible way she'd be removing the dress. Alicia was a sight to behold, and a pang of sorrow hit Daphne like a bolt of lightening. It wasn't fair that Alicia had to live her life in the dark .She was such a beautiful caring person, and despite what she had thought of Alicia in Hogwarts Daphne loved her now like she loved her own family. The past was the past, but she couldn't help but wonder what Alicia would be like if there weren't restraints placed around her neck.

"I suppose I can get away with this." Her hand moved towards her pale face, and she looked back at Daphne with one of her patented pleading looks. "Do my makeup, Daph." Alicia was always a klutz with makeup charms, and with such an important occasion going on in the ballroom she didn't want to walk in there with giant red circles mashed against her cheeks.

"Course."

There wasn't much exchanged between the girls while they continued to ready Alicia. Daphne was too busy thinking of ways Cassius could keep the Zabini's away from Alicia, and Alicia was too busy wondering if Cassius would think she looked funny wearing something so out of character for her. Regardless of what both girls were thinking, Daphne finished Alicia's makeup rather quickly and stepped away to give her friend the space she required.

"Came out rather good." She folded her arms across her chest as Alicia admired herself.

Bringing her hand up to her face, Alicia gently touched her rosy cheek and beamed. When Daphne did her makeup she came out looking like a million galleons. When she did her own makeup she came out looking like an absolute train wreck. "Thank you so much." She placed a few finishing barrettes in her curly hair and rose from the vanity. "I think we may have only gone a few minutes over schedule."

They both looked back towards the small grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the room. "Just about." Daphne, who had taken the liberty of sprawling out on the bed, sat up and got to her feet. "Wanna go grab the demonic son and head down to greet some people?" She quirked her brow which Alicia immediately picked up as the signal that Daphne needed a drink.

"Yeah let me just slip into these shoes….and he's not demonic." Placing her feet into the heels she had bought, Alicia gave herself one more look over in the mirror and sighed. She hated these blasted Gala's more than she hated having dinner with Cassius' family. "Ok…lets go."

* * *

"Stop fussing for one second Katie!" Angelina pulled at a strand of hair and placed it beneath the clasp of a shiny gold clip. It had been a war for the last hour as they tried to get Katie dressed for the Gala. It didn't help much that the boys were standing over them pointing out every little detail like it was some part of their N.E.W.T exams. She had already punched Lee twice in the arm to get him to back off so she could finish with Katie's hair. Now she had to contend with a fidgety Katie. "If you move one more time I'm just gonna cut it all off." Threatening Katie with her hair was like stealing a lollipop from a child. Too easy.

"You wouldn't dare." Katie looked up with wide eyes. There was no way Angelina would do something so incredibly cruel. "I'd scream and cry and then this whole little plan you all concocted will be thrown out the window! You want that?" Her left hand flew up towards her hair to check for any imperfections.

"It looks fine Katie." George, who had been the quiet one out of the three boys, covered his hand across his face. All he wanted was to finish getting Katie ready for the party so she could head to the Warrington's and get the scoop on Alicia. It was proving to be exceedingly difficult with Katie whining and Angelina groaning. Fred and Lee were only adding to the frustration by telling Katie her hair looked awful. If any of them knew what it was doing to him they'd have second thoughts about the way they were acting. George controlled himself. Somehow he managed to keep from taking his own wand and charming Katie in one foul swoop. At least then she'd be ready to go, and they'd be one step closer to Alicia. "Are you almost done." It was the most he had let on about his growing impatience.

"Just about." Angelina tapped her wand only two more times against Katie's hair before pulling away. "There. You don't even look like your usual self let alone the girl you used to be back at Hogwarts. If anyone recognizes you I'll eat my own shoe." Angelina tucked her wand back into her pocket and surveyed Katie like a finished piece of art.

Katie on the other hand looked like she was about to be sick. "I don't know if I can go through with this." Her hand flew to her stomach, and Fred quickly moved behind her to keep her from passing out. Her free hand flew to the side of the chair, and she steadied herself. "I'm going to completely screw this up." She knew she was going to. It had been in her blood since the day she was born. Katie was a natural klutz, and even if she prepared herself for something months in advance she always did something to blow it.

"Nonsense!" Fred threw his hands up on the air. "Angel here did a fantastic job with your appearance, and now all you need to do is blend in for awhile and then grab Alicia when you see her by herself. If that doesn't work….I dunno….throw a Dungbomb in the middle of the ballroom and make a clear dash for her. I'm sure that will give you a good five minutes before anyone notices you pulling her aside." Fred smiled broadly at this idea, but it faltered when Angelina had just rolled her eyes. "What? It's a good idea. Dungbombs never hurt anyone. They only aide in perfectly dire situations. This just so happens to be one of them." He shrugged.

George stepped away from the chair he was leaning against, and pushed past Lee who was preoccupied with Katie's pale peach dress. "Look." He held his hand up silencing his brother from suggesting anything else that may have hindered their plan. "Dungbombs, fireworks….I don't care what you use as long as you can get by everyone in that room and speak to her. Just lead her outside on the front porch or something, and then we will be waiting right outside the main gate. Give one small shot of red sparks with your wand, and we will do our best to make it up to you. Got it?" For a man who had lived with the idea of jokes and pranks to get what he wanted, George was suddenly feeling less daring. This needed to be executed perfectly.

"Ok Ok…I got it." Katie waved her hand dismissing him and instead looked over at Lee who was making rude gestures with his hands. Katie giggled and the lot of them groaned in disgust.

"You two can shag the night away later. Right now we need to get Katie at that party if we are ever going to come close to completing this plan." There was a pause, and Angelina who has been the one to speak up began ushering them to collect their cloaks. "I figure it shouldn't be too hard for you to get into the Gala. Someone like Warrington's mother, or even Alicia, will be standing at the door. They invite plenty of unidentifiable guests to these things, so just walk in like your supposed to be there and then wait until the right moment."

As a single unit they began gathering their things together before their short broom flight to the Warrington estate. Lee had charmed the brooms earlier so they'd be able to ride double without a problem. Katie would be forced to ride alone to make it appear as though she was alone. Having one of them drop her off at the front gate seemed awfully sketchy, and they agreed that they'd wait a few minutes down the road before staking claim to the bushes right outside the main entrance.

The ride to the estate was a quiet one, and by the time they reached the street that led up to the estate no one had even let out a breath of air. This was what they had been waiting for, and all it would take was a few minutes before they'd be face to face with Alicia. Would she remember them once she saw them all together? Would she dismiss them wondering why they hadn't found her sooner? These thoughts and many more plagued each of them, but George was perhaps the most nervous of all. Would she remember everything he had said to her the last moment he watched her leave the platform at Kings Cross? He couldn't deal with the thought of her waiting there for him at her house only to be attacked in the middle of the night. His eyes darted towards Katie and he let out a nervous sigh. Katie had messed up a lot of things for them in the past, but he doubted there was any way for her to ruin this. It was something that they all desperately wanted, and he knew she wouldn't be so careless about her actions. Especially not when she was heading into a house of potential ex-Death Eaters.

"Ready?" Fred's voice cut through the silence.

Katie merely nodded and looked briefly over at George. He knew she was nervous as hell, but he offered a reassuring smile in hopes that it would spark her confidence a little bit more. "Good luck, Katie." He practically whispered under his breath. "Bring her back to me." It was a silent wish, but he knew Katie had heard it.

Swinging her legs over her broom again, Katie took a deep breath and began the very short flight to the front of the Warrington estate. A few other guests on brooms were approaching the front entrance just as she was, and she allowed them passage first seeing as she wanted practically no one to even see her face. Pulling her broom to the right she followed at a safe distance until she pushed down on the tip of her broom for her landing. It was a delicate one seeing as she was wearing a formal gown, and she quickly swiped the broom to her side and waited for the man at the front door to greet her.

"It's good to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Whittington. Sorry Alicia or Cassius were not available to greet you. They've been busy inside. Just head to the right there and you'll see the main ballroom."

Katie knew that voice. It was an immediate blast from the past. Her heartbeat quickened, and she briefly wondered if she'd be able to jump back on her broom and take off before he caught sight of her.

"Hello?"

Too late.

His voice came out questioningly as he stared down at her. She felt his beady little eyes taking her in, and she bit hard on her lower lip hoping that Angelina's handiwork had kept her identity under cover for the moment. "Oh yes…sorry. I'm here for the Anniversary Gala." She cursed mentally to herself. Why was she always a bumbling idiot at the worst possible time.

"I'm sorry. I just don't recognize you is all. I don't mean to be rude." He held out his hand. "Marcus Flint."

Katie nearly gagged, but took his hand with a sincere smile. "No need to apologize. Mrs. Warrington has done a bit of charity work for my business." Now that was something she'd look back on as a nice save. It was a wonder she was still on her feet as the swelling kept growing inside her head. "I wasn't informed that I had to bring my invitation upon entry." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Have we met through Alicia then?" He pulled back his hand and ran it once over his chin in thought. "I feel like I've met you before. Did you attend the last Warrington Gala?" He suggested, though the look on his face told Katie that he was slowly growing suspicious of her identity.

"Well yes. I was here a long time ago for a Gala, but that was probably ages since I last was here." She placed her hand across her chest and giggled nervously. What would Angelina cook up in a situation like this? Katie furrowed her brow slightly in through as Marcus continued to stare at her. A few more minutes standing like they were and he'd know exactly where he recognized her from. "I'm sorry to be rude to you, Mr. Flint." She practically sugar coated the way she spilled out his name. When he smiled she felt the weight off her chest drop. "I'm a bit chilled out here." She gestured towards the front entrance and he slowly stepped aside.

"So sorry…Ms…" There was a suspicious twinge of excitement in the way he had paused.

Katie stopped dead in her tracks, but didn't bother to turn around and face him. If she did it was likely he'd catch the beads of sweat dripping madly down the side of her face. "Ms. Evergreen. Verity Evergreen." She'd have to thank Verity later for the namesake. It had rolled so clean and crisp off her tongue that Marcus didn't have anything to question. Quickly she bolted from the front entrance and headed for the main ballroom. She knew that had been close, and she was certain that Marcus had some sort of hunch that her name was not Verity. Still she had enough time now to find Alicia and get her to talk for a few moments. The only trouble was that Marcus was planted right outside the front entrance. If she was supposed to get Alicia outside to meet with the others it was going to take a lot of planning on her part to get Marcus inside so she could get out.

Upon entering the Ballroom Katie stopped dead in her tracks again. She had forgotten that Alicia was now living in the lap of sodding luxury. The place was something straight out of the fairy tales they used to swoon over back at Hogwarts. Angelina had always crooned about extravagant living, but neither one of them had ever actually seen a place like this. They didn't need a place like this, but it was awfully nice to dream about it sometimes. Everything right down to the tiniest details on the floor screamed Galleons, and Katie felt pressured to tip toe across the floor to keep from scratching anything. Though she knew if she started acting wonky now there would be no chance for her to get to Alicia. Alicia. Where was she?

Katie's eyes scanned the growing crowd in the middle of the Ballroom. There were couples dancing to a live string quartet in the middle of the floor, and many stragglers standing along the rim of the dance floor and sitting at tables. There was a short line for the bar area, and Katie decided to blend in a bit more by ordering herself something to drink. If she carried it in her hand she'd look even more the part of the dignified guest. Anything to make her blend in was a good thing. Her body swiftly found its way through the crowd, and she approached the bar with her best phony smile. There were already two other people ordering and she waited patiently for her turn to come.

"The sherry again, dear." A voice twinkled with a bit of a slur.

Katie furrowed her eyebrow and glanced casually out of the corner of her eye.

"Here you are, Ms. Greengrass."

Katie felt her head snap so fast back to the side she thought she heard a definite crack. If Daphne caught a sight of her it would be over. It was one thing to pull something over stupid Marcus Flint, but Daphne had been unusually intelligent for a Slytherin. There was a twinge of worry in Katie's gut that Daphne wouldn't be the type to forget faces no matter how much they had been covered in makeup. She waited in silence for a few minutes to be sure that Daphne was out of earshot. If she was around though it meant Alicia wasn't far off. If she could nonchalantly follow Daphne it was a sure fire bet that she'd lead her right to Alicia.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Katie looked over across the bar at the man in the tailored serving attire. "Oh sorry." She had forgotten she had been standing there, and wondered how many times the bartender had called her name before she even realized it. "Could I just get a wine spritz." Something heavier and she'd be the drunk girl at the party with the lampshade on her head. George had told her to be inconspicuous. Something about dancing with a lampshade on her head didn't exactly scream inconspicuous. Grabbing the glass that was slid across the bar top towards her, Katie began searching the crowd for Daphne. Which way had the Slytherin slag gone? There was a shimmer of blonde hair from across the room, and Katie practically knocked over a couple standing around a table just to get over towards the bobbing blonde head. It had to be Greengrass.

Sure enough when Katie reached a clearing she was able to make out Daphne who seemed to be in heavy conversation with a girl that looked a lot like Pansy Parkinson. Katie gagged. Didn't any of these people have any other friends? She paused in thought. Technically she had the same friends since Hogwarts. "Yeah but mine aren't all gits." She mumbled under her breath.

"Excuse me." Katie froze as a hand came clamping down on her shoulder. She wanted to scream and make a dash for the door. She had been caught. She had been found out. The kneazle was out of the bag. Call the Ministry. Call the Aurors. She was about to die by the hands of Death Eaters. "Excuse me, but do you work for the Irish Magic Counsel? Are you Mary McLaughlin?"

Katie opened her eyes and turned to face the voice. The man had to be pushing at least a hundred, and the spectacles falling off the edge of his nose were so thick that Katie couldn't help but wonder what size his eyes really were. "Sorry?" She shook her head in puzzlement.

"Mary McLaughlin? From the Irish Magic Counsel? I read about you in the post." The man smacked his lips together. "I'm Durgess O'Connell. I've been meaning to contact you all about the International Alliance for Elderly Flying. We elderly have rights too. We shouldn't be forced to take flying lessons again after a certain age." His voice had grown a bit heated.

"I'm sorry sir, but I think you are mistaken. My name is Kat- Verity Evergreen. I'm from London." She glanced back over towards Daphne who was now holding hands with Marcus Flint. The door was clear! Where was Alicia? "I'm sorry sir, but I really must head back over there. I'm waiting to see Mrs. Warrington."

"Like you always do! Run away from the real stories! This is important news here, Ms. McLaughlin, and you run away pretending to be someone else!" He had taken a step towards her, and Katie took a step back. Why was this old man suddenly looking so intimidating.

"Sir I really need -" She glanced back over her shoulder again and paused. There standing next to Daphne, Marcus and Pansy Parkinson was a ghost. A face she had seen erased from her world almost five years ago. George had been right. It was like stepping into an alternate universe and making contact with the dead. It didn't feel right, and yet there she was. Alicia was standing right across the room from her. "… to go." She finished her sentence.

"Like hell you do. This needs to be addressed now or I'm going to have to bring it to the official Ministry!" The mans voice began drifting into the back of her head. Alicia was busy laughing about something, and Katie scowled. She should have been standing there with Alicia laughing! She should have been the one present in her life all these years! She wanted to run over there and slap Daphne a nice one right across the face. She had to remain calm.

"Sir I'll have the counsel contact you when I return. Right now I need to head over there and -" Katie took another step but the man had grasped on to her arm. "Hey." She looked back at him and frowned. "I'll ask you once to let go of me, sir." Her eyes flickered back over to the small group and her heart rate quickened. Alicia was walking away! She needed to follow her so she could talk to her. Why was this man being an insufferable git? "Sir I'm asking you politely to let me go!" She yanked once again, and this time a couple from her left looked over with confused expressions.

"I will not." The man grunted, and gave another tug which caused Katie to lose a bit of her footing.

There was a brief tug of war, and Katie pulled with all her might as she watched Alicia slip through the crowd and slowly out of sight. If she didn't break free right then she'd be on the search again to find her. "Let …go!" She pulled once more and squealed as the man let her go and she went sailing into a chair. The old man stalked off with a grunt, and Katie readjusted herself as a few onlookers cast her wary glances. "Damn." She murmured again and pushed the chair out of her way.

There were people everywhere on the dance floor, and Katie could barely make out the brunette head bobbing across the room anymore. "Excuse me…excuse me." She pushed through couples at an alarming rate disregarding how suspicious it was making her look. She was just towards the outer skirt of the dancers when she collided again with what she thought was another chair. "Damn!" This time she cursed louder, and the chair giggled. Alarmed by this she spun around and looked down into the face of a tiny boy no more than five years old. This had to be Alicia's son. What had George called him again?

"You're funny." The boy pointed up at Katie with a toothy grin. "My Mum says the D word a lot and then yells at me when I say it. You sound like Mum. Damn damn damn." He spat out in a sing song kind of voice.

Katie couldn't help but let a few rogue tears fall uncontrollably down her cheeks. Five years. This little bundle of adorableness had been out of her life for five years. He could have been her godson. He could have been Angelina's. It didn't matter who would have been named his godparents because he would have at least been involved in their lives. "You must be James." She said with a little choke.

He grinned again. "Yes I am." He nodded his head in a very matter of fact way. "Who are you?" He let his head cock to the side and his eyebrow arch in an all too familiar way.

That's when Katie felt a lump form in the back of her throat. He looked exactly like Alicia in so many ways. The tiny nose. The scrawny frame. He even had her stubby little fingers. But the hair. The eyes. They weren't Cassius'. There was no Warrington traits present in the boy except for the dashing little set of dress robes he was pulling at. No. James Warrington didn't possess anything that reminded her of Cassius. "Oh my Merlin." She reached out and touched his ear.

"What you doing that for?" He stepped away with a frown on his face. "If you mess up my hair I'll get in loads of trouble." James looked up at her like she was crazy.

Katie fought back the urge to throw her arms around his tiny little frame. How had he not noticed? How had he not seen the biggest sign of them all? Now finding Alicia and getting her home was even more important then when she had initially walked into the Ballroom. It wasn't just about her anymore. James had become part of the puzzle, and Katie felt the need to just grab him right then and there and take off out the front door so he could go home. But how do you introduce that sort of thing to a child? How do you tell them that everything they came to love and trust wasn't real? She wiped again at the tears running down her face.

"Are you ok, lady?" He questioned her. "We could go see my Mum. She always knows how to make me stop crying."

"No I'm fine…I'm fine…" She grinned, and then let her eyes go wide. " I mean…I mean….I mean…lets go see your Mum. I'd like to see how good she is at fixing my tears." She playfully added hoping James would think her situation was urgent. This was even better than searching for Alicia on her own. If people saw her with James they'd just assume she was someone Alicia or Cassius knew already. There would be no questioning on who she was which would allow her to get Alicia outside.

The auburn haired boy took Katie's hand and began guiding her through the crowd again. "She likes to sit in the corner during parties. If there wasn't a party going on right now I'd probably be sitting in the corner."

The way he said it came out in a very proud tone, and Katie couldn't help but grin. "You're exactly like your father." She hadn't meant for it to come out, but it did. Suddenly she felt her free hand clasp nervously over her mouth as though someone would understand what she was talking about.

"Thanks." James tugged her to the side and began bringing her to a corner of the room where she could see two figures standing.

Katie cursed. She hadn't thought about Alicia being with anyone. Worst of all it could be Daphne standing there beside her which would blow her cover right out of the cauldron. "Hey James. Who is that with your Mum?" She nodded in the direction they were heading though the corner remained very dark for either of them to make out who was standing there.

"Hm." He paused. " Looks like …..Grandmother!" Letting go of Katie's hand, James made a dash across the rest of the way and wrapped his tiny arms around the frame of Esme Warrington.

Katie on the other hand came to a sudden halt. She didn't know Esme Warrington personally, but she had read the allegations on the Spinnet murders. To even be standing this close to someone who was responsible for the death of her friend's family caused her stomach to heave slightly. Was she supposed to go over there now? Would James point her out and force her over there? If she slipped to the left she'd mask in with a few other people until Esme left. That was assuming the woman would leave. By the way she was handling James it didn't look like she was going anywhere. Katie sighed, and took two steps forward. This was the moment they had tried to prepare her for back at the cottage. Now it was like stepping into a dream world. Did they really expect her not to get emotional upon seeing her best friend alive and well? All Katie wanted to do was hug Alicia until she was convinced that this was all really happening.

"There Mum." Just as she had suspected, James pointed out across the way and waved for her to join them in the corner of the room.

Katie felt the beads of sweat build up on her forehead again. She had to go. She couldn't be pointed out now and just walk away. She took two steps towards the corner, and paused. Taking a deep breath to regain herself she proceeded to cross the short distance and face Alicia. For a moment Katie felt like there was a hint of recognition in her friends eyes, but it was erased as soon as Alicia opened her mouth.

"Alicia Warrington. Thank you for coming to our Gala. This is my mother in law, Esme Warrington, and I see you already met James." She leaned down and kissed the top of her sons head. "Sorry I don't know your name, but we get a lot of representatives from other countries coming in."

Suddenly she wanted to thank the old bloke from earlier. "Verity Evergreen. I work on the Irish Magic Counsel." She beamed at the confidence in her voice.

"Funny." There was a pause. "I have been to the Irish Counsel over the last month, and I don't recognize the name…" Esme Warrington's biting voice broke the exchange. "Do you work under Gideon Lynch?" The dark haired woman raised a delicate eyebrow almost as if challenging Katie.

Katie opened her mouth and closed it. What was she supposed to say? Was it a trick? Did Gideon Lynch even exist in the Irish Counsel?

"Mum…mum…."

James grabbed at Alicia's dress which caused Esme to break her eye contact with Katie. Katie let out a soft sigh of relief. If she didn't know better James had felt the sudden tension and actually helped her out. She'd have to thank the boy later. Later when he was back with his rightful family.

"James Warrington!" Esme Warrington leaned down and took the boy by the ear. "How many times have I told you that interrupting adult conversations is nothing but rude." The boy yelped, but refused to show the pain he was in. "Now you apologize and get out of here before your bottom grows sore."

Alicia looked over at Esme and down at James. Katie noticed the pained expression in her face, but figured the traditional pureblood ways must still run wild in a house like this. The eldest was always right in discipline, and Alicia couldn't say one word to counteract it unless she wanted to get an earful from both Esme and Cassius. "Say your sorry James." It looked dreadful to even say, and Katie bit hard on her lower lip.

James' lower lip quivered as his grandmother looked down on him. Katie knew he didn't want to say it. Hell, she didn't want him to say it. "I'm sorry." Then without another word he was running back through the crowd leaving the three women there in the dark corner of the ballroom.

"That boy." Esme turned to Alicia disregarding the fact that Katie, a complete stranger, was still standing right there. "He needs to be reprimanded more, Alicia. He's getting too flimsy with his manners." She looked over in the direction where James had been running. "And what has gotten into his mannerisms lately. His dress robes are a mess, his language is vial…." There were a number of other things going on through the mind of Esme Warrington. Like the reason why he suddenly had freckles when Alicia and Cassius bore none. Or the sudden change from deep dark hair to a light auburn. She kept those to herself. It was just another one of her suspicions that she'd look further into. "You need to get that boy in order." With that Esme Warrington emerged from the corner and dramatically threw herself into a conversation with two snobby looking women.

"I'm terribly sorry about that." Alicia tucked a fly away strand of hair from behind her ear. "But it's awfully kind of you to attend this evening, Ms. Evergreen. Now if you'll excuse me…" She began stepping away from the corner when Katie yelled.

"Wait!" It came out sort of dramatic, but Katie had no choice. She needed to keep Alicia's attention.

The brunette women turned around and glanced at Katie. There was an odd tension in the air, and once again Alicia found her hand moving towards the locket. It was that same peculiar feeling that she had received the day she met George Weasley in the museum. It was like a door from her past had suddenly been thrust open, and yet she still couldn't recall the things she was supposed to. "Is there something else I can help you with?" She glanced between Katie, and then over at Marcus and Cassius who seemed to be pointing in her direction. Had something happened? Both men looked absolutely distressed, and Alicia felt an icy chill course through her.

"I was just wondering." She had to lie. She hated doing it, but it was the only way she'd get Alicia outside. "We are doing a bit of charity work for the Irish Counsel this year, and we hear wonderful things about the way you operate. I was hoping we could discuss a few formal ideas. I'd really love input such as yours." It was a bit cheesy, and she wasn't sure if Alicia would even buy it. If she had heard a story like that she'd think it was sketchy and leave before anything was to happen.

Alicia thought otherwise. People asked her to participate in charity events all the time so when this situation arose it was no different from any other moment. "Charity work is some of my best. Shall we step outside for a bit to discuss this?" She gestured towards the front door where the patio sat. It was still uncomfortably strange in the Ballroom, and Alicia felt like the fresh air would do her a bit of good.

A button of joy was going off inside Katie. She didn't even have to suggest it! "That would be fantastic." Her head arched slightly to the side, and she caught a brief glimpse of Daphne, Marcus and Cassius speaking in a fevered manner. Did they know? Had Marcus figured it out? Whatever the case was she needed to get Alicia outside so she could see the others. "Shall we then?" She began walking towards the Ballroom exit where the front entrance was located.

There was a pang inside of her that ushered her to call for James, but she didn't see why that was of any importance. She was just going to step outside with the woman and go over a few ideas for her Charity work. "What did you say the Charity work was for?" She questioned as she caught up to the woman. For a second she thought she heard Cassius call out to her, but something about the girl fascinated Alicia. There was a way in her mannerisms that seemed so familiar.

Katie flinched. "Um….It's to keep…" They were so close to the Ballroom exit. " Quidditch in schools for the children." Would the mention of Quidditch jog her memory? " A lot of the schools in Ireland are getting rid of the flying programs because they feel they are unnecessary. We feel that a child has the right to learn how to fly and have the freedom to play a sport." She nodded. Merlin was she getting good with the whole lying thing.

The passed through the Ballroom exit and began the short distance towards the main entrance. "Ah Quidditch. My son adores the sport, but I haven't played since I was a kid. Or at least that's what I'm told." She smiled sheepishly and hurried her steps to keep with the woman's quickening stride. "I do hope that I'll be some help with this, Ms. Evergreen." Alicia reached for the handle of the front entrance and yanked the door open.

"You see, Alicia…" She had cut the Ms. Warrington routine. They were just about to reach the patio where Katie would reveal the lot of them behind the brush. " I'm sorry I had to lie, but my name isn't exactly Verity Evergreen. It's really Katie -"

"_Colloportus_!"

There was a yell from behind them, and the door which Alicia had opened slammed shut in their faces. Katie spun in one fluid motion on her heel and let out a small cry as she came face to face with what she had hoped wouldn't recognize her. Marcus Flint and Cassius Warrington stood just in front of the Ballroom entrance arch. Both men had their wands drawn, and were pointing them directly at Katie. When Katie moved her eyes to the side Alicia looked both confused and yet intrigued by what was going on. Had she begun to remember? Did Katie's real name spark something that had been waiting to escape from her?

"I don't understand." It was the first thing out of her mouth, and she looked between Katie and the two men she trusted with her life. "What's going on?"

"This woman is an imposter running from Ministry officials. Marcus recognized her when she entered. She is trying to steal from us, Alicia." It was the quickest thing he could come up with on the spot, and he continued to point his wavering wand at Katie Bell. How the hell had she managed to get this far without anyone noticing? It didn't matter. They'd send Alicia out of the room and they'd take care of her down the hall. Katie Bell would no longer be a problem. "We need to take her down to one of the guest rooms and hold her there until officials come to retrieve her."

Alicia's eyes still continued to flicker between the two groups, but she paused a moment longer on Katie. "Who are you?" It was more of a plea then a demand. Something still struck Alicia funny about the girl, and she wanted to know exactly what it was.

"What's going on out there?" There were voices approaching from the Ballroom, and Marcus glanced worriedly over at Cassius. If the guests began to come out into the corridor they wouldn't be able to get rid of Bell.

"Alicia! It's me! It's me, Katie Bell. Don't you remember me from school? Alicia we were best friends!" There were louder murmurs now as a few guests had spilled into the corridor, and a couple of gasps from people who had known about Alicia's supposed memory loss. Whispers of a long lost friend began circulating the crowd and came to an abrupt halt when Esme Warrington began making her way to the front of the group.

"You will shut your mouth now, Bell!" Marcus stepped forward and waved his wand level with her face. If Esme heard any of this there would be more to answer to then just Alicia.

"No!" Katie screamed, the tears now beginning to rush like faucets down her face. "Alicia we love you! Come back to us!" She was now tugging wildly at Alicia's dress. Alicia could do nothing but stare down at the girl with a gapping expression. "Alicia! Why don't you remember? Remember me! Damn Alicia remember!"

"What's this?" Esme's voice had now joined the group of them, and she cast a wary glance at her son. "Cassius who is this girl, and what nonsense is she blubbering about?" Though the suspicious eye of Esme had already began absorbing the face. She knew that girl from a long time ago. Hogwarts. If there was one thing Esme Warrington was good with it was recalling faces from the past. This girl had gone to school with her son. She couldn't forget a angelic face like that. They often made her sick. "Get rid of her now, Cassius. Now!" Her voice caused a stir in the crowd again, though it was muffled over by Katie's desperate sobs.

"Let go of her Bell!" Cassius stalked forward and grabbed a hold of Katie's arm. Leaning in against her ear he lowered his voice enough so only she'd be able to absorb the words said. "You shut your mouth now and the way I kill you wont be so brutal."

Katie did her best to pull away. "She needs to know! Your son deserves to know!" The way she spit out the word son was oozing with hateful sarcasm. If she had to go down like this then at least she knew she was doing something to save the life of her best friend and her son. "Do it Warrington. Do it!" Her screams were like sharp knifes clawing against glass.

"No!" It was the first thing Alicia had screamed.

There was a silence that suddenly echoed through the crowd, and Alicia looked over the expressions of the people in front of her. Guests were whispering, Marcus was still pointing his wand, Daphne had appeared to her right looking terrified, and Esme. Esme looked as though a world of questions had suddenly been placed in front of her. Why had she screamed no? She didn't know this Katie. At least in person she had never known her. Somewhere in her head she knew her. In dreams. In passing thoughts. Somewhere in the far off places in her mind she knew her.

"Alicia…go upstairs." Cassius' voice was suddenly cold and distant, and Alicia felt the chill sweep in and down her spine.

"Alicia come with me. Come with me and see who you are…see who you really are!" Katie was still desperately pulling away from Cassius' grasp, and froze once again once she saw Esme Warrington remove her own crooked wand from her robe. She had forgotten about the people at this event. Sure some of them were probably diplomats, but most of them would keep it hushed. The Warringtons held power amongst these people. Her death would go 'unnoticed' by those who were present. After all half of them were Death Eaters.

"Out of my way, girl." Esme shoved Daphne aside sending her into Pansy Parkinson who had decided to take a front seat for the display.

The wand sat level with Katie's eyes, and she wondered for a moment if Lee would be all right without her. Would the twins miss her? Would Angelina find someone to share her secrets with? Would they save Alicia? Would she have sacrificed herself for nothing?

A scream.

There was a shrill scream from the back of the crowd, and all eyes, Esme included, turned back to look at the rising black smoke swell from somewhere behind the mass of people. There was another bang, but this time it rose from behind them, and Katie felt the chill breeze from the outside suddenly rush in. Someone had opened the door for her. Someone had saved her life. Kicking quickly at Cassius' shins, Katie turned in Alicia's direction and gave her one more fleeting look before heading out the front door. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder, and for a split second she could have sworn she saw a tiny auburn head bounce out from behind the crowd with a wand almost the same size as his tiny little arm. Had James rescued her? She didn't stop to investigate as the yells from inside the estate grew to a thunderous roar.

"Katie!" There was a frantic scream from behind the brush down by the gate, and Angelina was already aboard her broom holding Katie's at her side. "Here." She tossed the girl the broom and kicked off the g round without bothering to wait for an answer. "The boys went around back to try and get a look inside the windows. They are going to meet us down the road." Angelina's voice was shaky, but she didn't dare let her worry slow her down. They needed to get the hell away from the Estate. "What the hell happened?"

Katie was short of breath. There were a million things racing through her head. Alicia. James. Death. Everything seemed to blur together as they whizzed between trees and cottages. Every few seconds she cast a glance over her shoulder to be sure they were alone. Finally when out of range she took a deep breath and shook her head. "They knew it was me, Angelina. I was so close, but they knew. Esme…." She gulped for air. "Esme Warrington was going to kill me. I know she was."

"Merlin's beard." Angelina yanked the broom right and they came to a halt behind an old shed. "And Alicia? Did you speak with her? Did you find anything out?"

She had been so close to getting her outside. All she needed to do was step out that door and they could have been having this conversation with Alicia beside them. "Oh Angelina…" She choked back a sob. She had failed. Katie Bell the resident klutz had failed. Her eyes went wide. "Oh my god…Angelina…." Her voice dropped off as the image of James seeped into her head. "I may not have gotten Alicia out to us, but I may have at least earned some better information." She took another breath. "Alicia's son…James…my gods Angelina he-"

"What in bloody hell happened?" The voice of George suddenly cut the air causing Katie to jump in her place. "It sounded like a war in there. We thought someone set off a set of fireworks or something."

"Are you ok?" Lee jumped from his broom and enveloped Katie in a very large hug. "I was so damn worried, Katie. You actually made me frown twice while you were in there. Getting me worried like that…shame on you."

"Yes well it wasn't exactly the classy champagne and caviar dreams we all thought it would be. Unless all those fancy Gala's end with the threat of death. She heaved out a sigh as they boarded their brooms again. "I just want to get back to the cottage and sleep. We can discuss the next ridiculous plan in the morning."

"Well aren't you going to tell us anything?" Fred whined from the back of the pack. "Geez Katie you almost die and the most you can say is 'lets go to sleep'. I'd be on an adrenaline rush right about now."

Katie sighed. "Well I'm not about to go out crashing the local pub scene for a good time if that's what you mean Fred. I just witnessed three of the most gut wrenching things in my life. Alicia's alive….I was almost dead…and her son son son-" She stammered. Why did she always put herself in situations like this? Couldn't she just keep her mouth shut for once?

"Right, what were you going to say about him before they showed, Katie?" Angelina sped up and sat side by side with Katie.

Katie bit hard on her lower lip. She wanted to tell them. She felt like she needed to tell them. George had a right to know, but at this moment they couldn't afford him storming back to the Estate in some irate manner. Alicia was still in the dark, and explaining things to her like that would only make things worse. For now she'd have to keep it to herself. "I think he saved me. I mean I saw him with a wand, and someone had to have opened the door for me. "

"Your telling me that Cassius Warrington's son helped someone out willingly? Without the prospect of getting something in return?" Fred let out a snort. "That's rich."

"He's a good kid, Fred. He is a mirror image of Alicia. The old Alicia." George yelled out cutting the quiet night air with a bit of malice in his voice. "You'd like him. You all would like him."

Katie closed her eyes and fought back the urge to let the tears fall. They were the very same tears she had shed the moment she laid eyes on James. They would all love the little spitting image of Alicia. Perhaps George most of all.

* * *

"I want that girl searched for immediately." Esme Warrington let her dark red nails tap against the oak desk. "I want files, names, places….I want everything you can dig up on this Katie Bell, and I want it in my hands by morning."

There were four people beside herself present in the room that Esme had booked for that evening. She would have stayed at the Estate, but after the evenings altercations she needed to meet with a few people in private. People that Cassius would not have allowed in his home. On her right sat Paulo Zabini and his wife Zella Zabini. Her husband William sat to her left, and across from the both of them a young servant to the Zabini's focused on a long list of things on a piece of parchment. He was checking them off furiously as though at any moment one of the four would pull their wand and end his life.

"Anything else, Ms? " He looked up at Esme with fear present in his eyes. The quill shook like mad within his hand.

"Once you find this information on Ms. Bell I would like you to bring it to me immediately. Once that is taken care of I will inform you of the rest." Esme pursed her lips together.

"Yes of course, as you wish." He picked up the parchment and began backing out of the small dark room.

"Goodnight Ping." Paulo Zabini shooed the nervous young wizard out of the room. "This had better be worth our time, Esme. If this silly hunch of yours comes back without proof we will not be waiting around for your side work again. We have much to do in order to get the Death Eaters back in order."

William Warrington scoffed. "Paulo…if this hunch my wife feels is true then not only do we get to make an early example of a few blood traitors, but we get ourselves an entire redheaded blood traitor of a family to take care of. Not to mention Harry Potter. He still owes his own blood for what he took from us all."

Esme Warrington grinned. "Oh believe me Paulo this will indeed be worth it's while. I have been questioning things for many years, and now if my suspicions are correct we will feast ourselves on the blood of innocents once again." She let out a shrill cackle, and clasped her hands together.

"And what of the boy? He is part of your flesh and blood…is he not?" Zella's low voice billowed through the room.

Esme choked out what seemed to be a sound of disgust. "He is no more my flesh and blood…he is hers. The boy carries no Warrington genes that I can make out. If it comes to play as I believe it will….we have no further use for the boy. He will be dealt with much like she will be." A twisted smirk pulled at the corner of Esme's lips, and she slowly turned her attention towards the clock upon the wall.

Soon. They would know soon enough.


	9. Chapter 9

THANK YOU! Your reviews from the last chapter were so kind! I really appreciate your thoughts on the story so please don't hesitate to do so again. **  
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**WARNING: **This chapter contains the usage of brief vulgarity and semi-intense moments.

Once again I thank you, and don't forget to hit that little button at the end and let me know what you think.

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**Chapter 9**

_She ran. Her legs were moving so quickly beneath her that she didn't even register the brown snitch of a cat Norris standing behind one of the statues at the end of the corridor. It didn't matter how loud the cat meowed. She'd be far gone out of the corridor before Filch even came close to finding her. There were muffled yells from behind her. One was from Angelina and the other George. Her heart wretched inside her chest, but she didn't bother slowing down. It had to be this way. She was too much of a threat for her friends. If her parents found out that she was actually happy at school they'd look for the reason behind it. Most likely they'd attack her friends, and that was something she just couldn't deal with. It pained her to do it. She loved George. She truly did. She had loved him since the second day of third year when he saved her from detention. She often thought that George was her soul mate. He seemed to understand her more than anyone else in her entire existence. Yet these last few weeks, the weeks she had finally confessed her love for George, something else had been surging through her head. _

_Warrington. Cassius Warrington, the bane of her existence, had managed to snake his way into her head. She still couldn't believe that she let it happen. It was like asking a Death Eater to dinner on a daily basis. Yet she couldn't help herself. He knew what she was going through. He understood what her life entailed. That small amount of understanding seemed to open up things in her that she didn't know were really there. She hated him for making her choose. She hated that he had somehow infected her with his Slytherin charm, but he had. Now she couldn't stop running. She had done it, and that was it. She had watched George's heart break into a million little pieces, but it had to be done. He deserved better then the daughter of a Death Eater anyway. _

_Cassius had told her that he'd be in the Astronomy tower waiting for her. It was far past curfew, but hopefully with her Prefect status if she were to be caught things would be all right. Angelina's voice grew distant, and Alicia found herself turning the final corridor towards the tower. Her friends would hate her in the morning. She wasn't sure if Angelina or Katie would ever speak with her again. The group that had been so tightly knit would now be nothing more than a memory. She fought back another sob. They had been nonstop since she had broken up with George. Wiping madly at her face, Alicia rid herself of the tear stains before taking her first step. She didn't need Cassius to see her so distraught. He'd accuse her of being weak and basing her choices off of silly little girl like things. She had to stop crying. As long as she showed him some strength he'd understand the severity of what she had just done. He'd at least comfort her. She knew that. He had been so understanding the last few weeks that she was surprised it was even Cassius at all. _

_She quickly bound the steps incase Angelina or George had managed to follow her. She didn't want George finding Cassius. George was much bigger than the dark haired Slytherin, and she didn't feel it would be right for George to take out his anger on him. It was after all her decision. She had been the one to decide that this was where she wanted to be. George had to understand that. Everyone had to understand that. This was beyond the words of her friends now. She had made her choice, and they were going to have to accept it even if they didn't want to. _

"_Cassius?" She had slipped into the dark tower, her eyes searching for some sort of shadow. It was dark and cold, and the only form of light began casting odd shadows across the walls. She had expected more than this. For some reason she had envisioned entering the tower and falling into a sea of flower petals. She thought he would have lit a few candles around the room, but instead she was greeted with darkness. Alicia hated darkness. _

"_I'm here." It was a low husky tone that he had never taken with her before. Still she was relieved to find that he was waiting for her, and she squinted just a bit more to make out the figure of the lean Slytherin Quidditch player. "Did you do it?" Again his voice was cold, but she was able to cross the dark room and find the sleeve of his robe. _

_Why hadn't he moved towards her when she touched him? _

"_Gods Cassius…" The whimper from the back of her throat caused her to fake a cough, and she did so before continuing. "It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I knew I had to. I just had to. These last few weeks…it still doesn't make sense in my head, but in my heart…" Her hand moved towards her chest and sat idly there on her heart. " I had to." _

_Her head was lined with a thousand memories of what had occurred between the two the last few weeks. From the initial meeting in one of the secret passages, to the secret meetings on the grounds, Alicia had found herself enamored by the dark haired Slytherin. It was like he knew everything about her before she even had a chance to tell him. He knew she liked to write in her journal, and he knew she harbored secrets from her friends. That's when she had let it slip that her father was a Death Eater. His reaction had been expected at first. He sat there wide eyed and completely dumbstruck by her confession. She had told him her father's name. Alastor. Cassius looked as though he had been struck with a two ton weight. That's when it all slowly fell into place for them. _

_Apparently when she was much younger and forced to hide in the closet during parties at her home, Cassius and his family had been frequent guests. His father and Alicia's father had been decent friends before Cassius' father disappeared. He recalled the many nights he was forced to go to the Spinnet home and wait in the left wing until he was called to leave. There were stories he told her about her house that only she would have known. Like how the grandfather clock on the second floor would chime madly if you set it to six thirty. He even knew about the secret passage beneath the main staircase that brought you to a small hut out in the back grounds. He knew it all. He even knew her. _

_There was one night in particular where he had strayed away from his brother. He knew he wasn't supposed to follow the left wing around towards the back of the estate, but he couldn't help it. Or at least that's what he had told her when they were sitting in the passage that one night. He remembered it with such detail that he doubted he was lying, but he swore that he had seen a tiny girl with long dark hair run from one room to the next with a large yellow quill in her hand. Alicia still had that large yellow quill in her trunk. It was her favorite, and despite the worn out feathers she couldn't part with it. He had seen her that night, but never again. His father had disappeared only a few weeks after that moment so he couldn't find the details on the mysterious little girl. After all the years spent at the Spinnet house he had never known that they had a child. He had never known all this time that it was Alicia. _

_She had finally found someone that understood the way she had lived. He knew everything about being the child of a Death Eater. The screams from those tortured in the basement at nights. The way the back of a father's hand felt when he whipped you late into the evening. It was like they were destined to find each other there in that passage way. They had. All those years of calling Warrington a loathsome snake seemed so horrible to her now. He had lived the same way she had, and between their frequent talks she had learned that he had hated it. _

_It was the reason she had fallen for him. _

"_Alicia…stop." He had pushed her hand from his robes and taken an awfully big step away from her. _

_Had she done something wrong? Could he tell that she had been crying? After all the kisses he showered her in she would have thought that this moment would have been something a bit more special. Unfortunately the chill in the air was beginning to make her think otherwise. "Stop what? Look if your sorry about my choice of words I can explain. It's just that it really was hard for me, Cassius. George is not only a friend of mine, but he was the love of my life for so long. It was something that killed me to do, but I did it for us. I did it because…because I love you." _

_She could have sworn she saw him wince, but it was too dark to tell. _

"_I can't do this anymore." The coldness in his voice had been replaced with something different. She couldn't identify it, but she knew it was there. There was a bit of remorse mixed into his words, and Alicia furrowed her brow. Suddenly she felt sick. _

"_Can't do what?" There was a waver in her own voice. "Cassius I told you I was sorry, what more do you want from me?" _

"_I want you to leave me alone! I'm done with this, Alicia! I'm done with you." His last sentence trailed off in a defeated manner. The damage was already set though. _

_If this had happened in the past she would have expected him to break into manic laughter and call her stupid for believing him. This was different. There was a manic look in his eyes that seemed to penetrate the darkness and engulf her. She couldn't breathe. What had she done? What had she gotten herself into? "Cassius you don't mean that. You don't." Her hands began reaching for his robes again, but he stepped further away causing him to back into one of the walls. _

"_Don't mean it?" A sneer escaped him. " I have never meant it more in my life." His voice rose slightly, and this time she took a step backwards. _

"_But…but you said…" The tears in her eyes, tears for George and for herself, began falling down her pale face. " You said you loved me." And he had. _

_He had told her two days ago that he had fallen in love with her. He had told her that she made him feel things that no one else could make him feel. She was able to reach his emotions, and make him feel whole in a world that was masked with so much darkness. He had told her that. He had. She knew he had! Hell, it was the reason why she had broken up with George. She couldn't be with two wizards at the same time, and being with Cassius had just felt so right. She didn't need to worry about disappointing him because he had lived the same life she had. She swallowed the bile that rose in the back of her throat. _

_For the first time he laughed. "Love you?" Taking her suddenly by the shoulders, Cassius swung her around and threw her up against the wall. There was a crack, and she didn't know whether or not it was the bones in her back or the chair he had kicked out of the way. Her face was squeezed within his right hand, and his left was holding her shoulder tightly against the wall. "A Slytherin fall in love with a Gryffindor?" The way he said it caused her to choke back a cry. "I don't love you…I pity you." His hand tightened on her shoulder. "That's why I'm doing this now. I can't stand to see you throw yourself at me like some pathetic animal anymore." _

"_Cassius…you are hurting me." She winced as he practically crushed her shoulder with his bare hands. Her eyes were blurred by the tears, and the pain in her shoulder increased. " I don't understand. Everything you told me. Everything we shared…" She was shaking uncontrollably, and Cassius had the urge to lift his hand and slap her across the face. So he did. _

"_Are you really that stupid, Spinnet? My God!" He squeezed a bit harder on her face causing her to cough. "I loathe you. I have always loathed you. Your last name was like poison in my house, and we itched for the day that we'd be able to return the favor." _

"_What favor?" The room was spinning in a thousand different directions, and the beating of her heart was thundering so loudly that she couldn't stop herself from gasping for air. _

_He pulled her face towards his letting it get dangerously close. She could make out the deep color of his eyes, and the feelings he had shown her the last few weeks were suddenly gone. "Your scumbag bastard father was the reason mine abandoned my family. For years we were forced to live without him. For years my brother and I were forced to work over holidays just to make enough money for my mother. We had no life because your father took it from us. He stole it all from us, Spinnet." He spit towards the ground though a portion of it managed to hit her face. _

"_My father? My father's a bastard…how dare you even place me in the same category as him. I had no control over what he did to you…I was his punching bag for Merlin's sake." She gasped for air again. He was going to crush her face with his hands if he didn't ease up. "He wont even care that your doing this…he wont. Why bother with me?" _

_Cassius let out a manic laugh again. "We didn't care how we got back at your family as long as someone with the Spinnet name paid for what happened. We couldn't touch your parents without my father…but I found you, Spinnet. I found you." He slapped her face rather hard with his free hand again. _

_A yell of pain escaped her, and she let her head drop defeated to one side. "I don't even know what he did. How is this fair?" _

"_Fair?" His voice hit a frightening decibel. "You want to talk about fair? How fair was it that my mother had to sell everything we owned just to keep up under her care while you and your family lived it up in high society? How fair was it that I was forced to attend Hogwarts when I was supposed to be sent away to Durmstrang?" She tried pulling away, but he only pulled her back. "Your bastard father got himself into a little trouble with the Dark Lord. Instead of manning up to his mistake he pointed the finger at my father…who was innocent. That's what he did, love. He betrayed his best friend to save his own arse from the Dark Lord." _

_Alicia was crying now. Her tears mingled with the sweat that poured from her forehead. She had to be dreaming. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to find Cassius in the tower, and they were supposed to be together. They were supposed to consummate their love right there in the Astronomy Tower. Why was he doing this to her? Her father's actions were not hers. "Cassius…please. Please don't do this. I love you. I love you…I do. Why are you doing this?" _

_He loosened his grip, but didn't let her go. His lips twitched into a sick smirk, and he let his eyes flicker towards the staircase. "Because this is what I've been waiting for my entire life. I've waited for the moment to destroy the one innocent thing left in the Spinnet family. Two years. I waited two years to do this, Spinnet. Oh don't look at me like that. I knew who you were two years ago. I remembered that long dark hair running from one room to another. I remember that sodding yellow quill. The same quill I watched you use during our O.W.L exams." There was a triumphant tone now present in his voice, and Alicia felt her stomach wretch again. "That's when it all hit me. Spinnet is a rather common name, but not that common. When I realized it was you I knew this all would be worth it." He sneered. _

"_Cassius…" Her voice broke off, her body slumping forward so that she was practically leaning on him. He jerked her arms upright and forced her to look him in the eyes again. Her heart shattered. For a brief moment she wondered if it was the same sort of feeling George had gone through when she had called things off earlier. She was so stupid. So damn stupid. _

"_But you got to me, Spinnet." He waved a finger in her face as if scolding her. "You managed to make me actually feel something for you besides absolute hatred." His black hair fell into his eyes masking whatever emotion that was surfacing. "And that's why I'm ending this now." He was going to take her virginity that night. Right there in the tower he was going to do it, but he couldn't. She could tell by the strained look in his face. "Besides… I wouldn't want to touch you anyway. The mere thought of being close to you anymore makes me sick." He let go of her abruptly and shoved her back against the wall again. Her body collided with the hard stone causing her to yell in pain again. _

"_Don't do this to me…please. After everything I've done for you." Her body sank back against the wall. _

_He clapped his hands together. "Oh yes! How could I forget? You actually broke up with that pauper Weasley to be with me." He pressed his hand against his chest. "You broke the heart of a man that adored you to be with someone you spoke to in a passage way for a few hours. You barely even knew me for a month and you called things off with the man you have loved since your third year… Plus you were ready to fuck me tonight so I'd say I did a pretty terrific job convincing you that I actually fancied you." He laughed. _

_Alicia had been the perfect friend for nearly seven years. Then she had gone and thrown it all away simply because of the man in front of her. The man who had told her he loved her. The same man she had thought she was in love with. Now he only brought her pain. Her body ached. Her head screamed. Turning to the side it finally rose and she let the vomit hit the floor behind her. She hated looking this defeated in front of him, but that's exactly what he did. He defeated her, and as much as she hated him she hated her father for being the sole reason behind all of it. Once again the man whom she loathed the most had done something to ruin her life. Alicia Spinnet was not perfect. Alicia Spinnet was a sodding fool. She wiped at the corner of her mouth. "How cruel can you possibly be?" It came out at a whisper, and Alicia dropped her eyes to her knees. She couldn't look at him anymore. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. _

_She could have sworn there was a hesitant motion in his step, but her eyes were still blurred by the tears streaming down her face. It was suddenly quiet in the tower. The yells, the cries, the absolute ill feeling that was bouncing between the two of them. They seemed to disappear in that instant. "Don't pretend like you know me, Spinnet. You really have no idea." There was another beat of silence before he took another step forward and moved towards the door of the Astronomy tower. His cloak billowed behind him creating even more shadows in the round room. _

_She sat there against the wall. Her body felt broken into a thousand pieces, and the vomit beside her began to stink. There was a stinging apparent in the back of her eyes, but she was too dazed to do anything about it. What had she done? How could this have happened? "But I love you…" She let it fall out of her mouth again, but this time it felt so damn foreign. She should have known better. He was a Slytherin after all. What had possessed her to believe that he could actually be a decent human being? The worst past of it all was how badly she had hurt George in the process. Someone who she truly did love and someone who reciprocated the feelings. She could never expect things to be the same between them anymore. She couldn't leave the tower and just go apologize expecting things to be fixed. She had ruined everything, and now she was forced to live with what she had done. _

"_You are so stupid, Alicia. So so stupid." Pulling her knees into her chest she let her forehead rest down upon them. She wasn't sure if she had stopped crying. Her body was still convulsing from the emotional blow. She did however find the strength to reach into her pocket and remove the gold locket. He had tried to give it to her on her birthday two days prior. Even after she had left with Cassius George had been determined to fix things between them. He even had one of the house elves leave the locket on her pillow the following day. It hadn't left her pocket for two days. Even that evening when she met with him to finally just break it off she had it in her pocket. Twice. She had to explain it to George twice that she didn't want to be with him anymore, and he still seemed stunned by it. Now the gold locket seemed to precious in her hand. Why didn't she just take the present two days ago and tell Cassius to blow off? Why did she let Cassius talk her into meeting with George that night and cutting it clean away then and there? _

"_Cause you are a sodding gullible twit." She mumbled into her hand suppressing another cry. The gold locket swung lightly in her hand, and she slowly undid the tiny clasp. Somewhere in her head she felt it was wrong to do so, but she had to wear it. She'd never take it off again. She'd never question her love for George again. Reaching back her clasped the snap shut and adjusted the locket around her neck. Flicking open the little clasp that kept it shut she fought back the tears as she was graced with a tiny picture of George. Closing her eyes she dropped her head to her knees again and cried. She cried until the darkness engulfed her, and the pain turned into a dull nightmarish sleep. _

Alicia sat bolt upright in her bed. Her eyes squinted towards the grandfather clock on the wall. It was only nine in the morning, and yet she felt like she had been sleeping for days. The dream. The dream she had felt so damn real. Like a memory bursting through from a time not so very long ago. Cassius had been there. He had done things to her that even in her wildest imagination he would never do. And George. She had once again dreamed of the redheaded man from the museum. The only difficulty this time was trying to understand why she had felt so strongly for him in the dream. And Spinnet. The name she had often heard roll off the tongue of Esme Warrington. It was the same last name from the dream. It was her last name in the dream.

Everything in the dream was balancing on the edge of feeling real and feeling so far fetched. The locket. Alicia's hand flew to the lock and she looked down at the little heart shaped gold thing. For years she had never bothered to open the clasp at the bottom of the heart. The one time she tried it had remained locked, and even the best jeweler had failed getting it open. Since then she had no desire to try and open it again. Until now. The locket had felt like it held the key to everything in the dream, and Alicia flicked at the corner of the clasp again to try and get it open. When it didn't budge she tried pulling at it, but it remained tight. She paused. "Why the hell am I doing this? It was just a dream."

A large crash from downstairs had caused her to jump slightly in her bed, and she wondered if Cassius had made his way to the office yet. She still had numerous questions to ask him about the previous night's party fiasco. Slipping her legs from beneath the blanket Alicia grabbed her head and closed her eyes. Everything had felt so real. It was like a memory being released from a place that had been hidden for so long. Yet it just couldn't be. The way Cassius had treated her was so foul. The name Spinnet was the name of the family that was murdered by Death Eaters. George didn't exist in her life unless she counted the bloke she had met in town. No. It was just a silly dream that had plagued her after a night of hectic drama.

Another crash downstairs caused her to pause, and she stared at the bedroom door for a good long second before moving towards her wardrobe. A jog. She needed a nice jog to clear her head of all the rubbish. Pulling off the sleepwear that clung to her, Alicia frowned. Had she been sweating in the middle of the night? Her clothes were drenched, and she suddenly realized her heart was racing a mile a minute. Had that dream really gotten to her in such a way? Tossing the garment on the floor she opened up the wardrobe and picked out a light blue track suit and her trainers. Quickly she dressed her self and moved towards the bed to put her trainers on. There was another crash outside the door only this time it sounded closer then the previous two. What the hell was going on downstairs? Lacing up the second shoe Alicia reached behind her head and began tying back her hair. It was interrupted by the shout from outside, and the scream from James.

Her hand was on her wand within in a second even though it was half way across the room. Two steps had been taken in the direction of the door before it flew open to reveal Daphne clinging to a frantic looking James.

"We need to go now." Her friend took her wand and cast a sealing charm on the door. There were shouts on the other side, and Alicia could have sworn one was that of Esme's.

Her wand was still pulled at the ready as James jumped out of Daphne's arms and into the arms of Alicia. "She- she - she - she-" His face buried into her chest.

"My gods Daph, what the hell is going on?" Between the dream and the sudden destruction of things outside her room, Alicia felt the room begin to blur.

"There is no time to talk about this. You need to come with me now. We need to get you out of here." Moving towards the wardrobe that sat in the corner of the room, Daphne cast another charm, and instantly the large oak furniture began shifting to it's side.

Alicia, her free hand resting on the back of James' head, gasped as a large door sat perfectly hidden behind the wardrobe. "Oh my god." She murmured again while taking a few steps forward towards her friend.

"Hurry…get in." Daphne swung the door open and began ushering Alicia and James inside. "You need to calm down for me, James. You need to be quiet now." Daphne began backing up slightly into the dark passage way that was beyond the hidden door.

Alicia on the other hand stood her ground without scolding the whimpering boy. "Daphne! I'm not moving until you tell me what's going on! Who is making that racket? When was a door placed here? And where the hell are we going?"

Flicking her wand at the wardrobe, Daphne remained quiet as the furniture moved back into place blocking the last bit of light from the room. "Lumos"

The tip of her wand lit, and she closed the door behind them. The light from the wand cast an odd shadow across her face, and instantly Alicia was brought back to that horrid dream again. James trembled lightly in her arms, and Alicia opened her mouth to protest again. She would not follow this dark passage way without finding out what was going on inside her own house. " I-"

It was the only thing she could get out before Daphne cut her off. " We are going to a place where you and James will be safe for the time being. The door was placed here five years ago incase this was ever to happen. And the racket…" She scoffed. "Esme is creating the racket right now, and we need to get moving before she gets by that sealing charm I placed on the door." Grabbing Alicia's free arm she began dragging her down the dimly lit passage.

"Why?" It was a simple question, but she had the right to know the truth.

Daphne sighed. "Because Esme Warrington wants you dead."

There was a sharp intake of air, and Alicia pressed her cheek against the top of James' head. Why would her own mother in law want her dead? She understood that she wasn't the model society wife, but was this serious? Had she really come to the estate to murder her son's wife? "I…I don't believe it."

" Listen Alicia, she came to the estate this morning to kill you, and to kill- " She paused, her eyes scanning over the tiny frame of the boy. " She was going to do it before Cassius came home from his morning meeting. The meeting was canceled and he came back early. I was on my way in when I heard the first blasts go off. I rushed up the back way and found James huddled in the corner of his room. That's when I came and got you. Turn this way." She tugged Alicia's arm and they made a slight left.

"But…but why?" She stammered, still horror struck. " I haven't done anything to betray the family. I haven't said anything to besmirch them!" Her voice rose a bit frantically, and James shifted against her again. "What have I done to be…to be murdered?" The word came out with utter disgust attached to it.

Daphne closed her eyes for a moment and fought back the truth. She couldn't tell her yet. She promised Cassius if the time ever came she would wait for him to be there. They would do it together. Now was not the time. She needed to get Alicia and James out of the estate and to the spot she had discussed with Cassius. Besides, once they reached that destination everything would finally be out on the table. "I can't tell you right now, Alicia. I want to…believe me I want to with every fiber of my being, but I promised Cassius I would wait. He will be meeting us at the safe house as soon as he can. Everything will be fine, Alicia. Nothing is going to happen to you or James."

"Couldn't we just send this to the Ministry? To the Magical Law Enforcement? Isn't there anything we can do to put that woman in Azkaban?" They made another sharp turn and Alicia began seeing light at the end of the passage way.

Daphne shook her head. "There isn't, and wouldn't, be enough sufficient evidence to put her away at the moment. There are a lot of…Merlin Alicia just wait till we get to the safe point. Everything you want to know will be answered." With her wand now pointing directly out in front of her, Daphne paused as they reached the exit. It was another dark door, but behind it there was a shimmer of light that could be seen between the cracks. "Wait a moment." She stepped forward and opened the door slowly before slipping inside.

"Why does Grandmother want to hurt us, Mummy?" It was the first thing James had spoken since running to her arms.

"I don't know, baby. I don't know. " She kissed the top of his head. "But I'm sure your father will protect us. He'll keep us safe." The images of her dream came pounding back into her head and she winced. She hoped Cassius would protect them against his mother. He was all she had.

"Come on." Daphne's quick pull of the door made Alicia jump at least a foot in the air. "We don't have a lot of time. Now…hurry." She stepped aside to let them in, and quickly shut the door and sealed it again. "Take this." She held out a large dark brown cloak. "Hold James as close against you as you can, and I'll help you into the cloak. Granted it's not the best disguise, but we weren't counting on this to happen so quickly."

Still unsure as to what Daphne kept mentioning, Alicia did as she was told and hugged James against her. Daphne quickly moved around them and helped the tiny brunette witch into the overly large cloak. With her dainty frame beneath it you couldn't really be certain whether or not she was holding James, or just pregnant again. It was a suitable fit. "What now?" She had stopped asking questions for too much information. It was obvious Daphne was not going to answer her. They were in am old storage broom shed that was about three hundred feet from the main estate. It was located within the thick forest that lined the back grounds and often forgotten about until some meddling kid broke in and set off the wards. "There are wards in this you know. They are probably going off at the estate."

Daphne shook her head. "Cassius disengaged them a week ago. No one will even know we are back here. Are you ready?" Crossing the tiny shed, Daphne grabbed two brooms. One smaller one for herself, and a larger double rider for Alicia. "You'll be able to fly with him like that, correct?"

"I still don't understand how any of this will throw them off track. They will eventually find that hidden door in my room, Daphne. They'll figure it out." She was now growing worried. What would happen when they found the door? Had they found it yet? Were they coming down the dark passage way right at that moment? Her eyes shot towards the door. They'd trace it right to this very shed and then realize the two brooms were missing. Alicia clutched James tighter against her chest.

"Which is why we wont be flying to our destination." She straddled her broom as Alicia cast her a confused expression. "We are going to fly halfway to our destination, and then leave the brooms in a slightly populated area. When they find the brooms they will assume we are still local, and that will bide us some time."

"We wont be local then?" Her hands trembled as she mounted her broom. "Hold on tight to Mummy, James." She felt the young boys fingers grip her around the back. Her heart had managed to snake its way into her throat.

"No. After we loose the brooms we will be taking an illegal Portkey Marcus has made to another place. It will keep us safe for the time being considering Esme will not think of it as a suitable place for us to go." She opened the door of the shed revealing the thick forest out in front of them.

"And Cassius knows all this? He will meet us at this place?" She hovered beside her friend and inched out the door into the dark. The trees were so high they blocked the sun from hitting the ground, and they had to squint in order to see in front of them.

"He knows, and he will meet us there." She stated softly. "Then…then we will fill you in on everything, Alicia. You'll learn everything." Pulling her broom up slightly she began to fly forward. "We must press on now. It's been a good half hour now, and I'm sure they are close to discovering that passage way."

Mutely Alicia nodded and began following her friend through the dense forest and away from the faint blasts she could hear coming from her home.


	10. Chapter 10

Have I mentioned how much I love you guys? Cause I totally do. Thanks so much for all the reviews. I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. The school semester is coming to a close and I have about a thousand papers to write. The next chapter may take a little while to get up as well. In the meantime if you'd like to take some guesses as to whats going to happen in the future go for at. Leave a review with your theories, and I'll be sure to address you right here within this AN's section in the next chapter.

Again I thank you so much for reviewing. It makes me excited to continue on with this story.

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**Chapter 10**

The mood in the Jordan cottage was a somber one the day after the Gala. Each one of them looked as though they had barely any sleep, and Fred truly gave himself away by walking into the kitchen with his clothes from the previous night still on. He had no energy to remove them when they had returned, and instead dropped into the spare bed with Angelina beside him. You could cut the silence with a dull knife. Katie sat at the kitchen counter with her head resting gently in her hands. Perhaps last night had been hardest on her. She had seen the wrath of Esme Warrington, and felt the threat of both Marcus and Cassius. Alicia had stood there and done nothing. The brunette did not remember Katie's face or even her name when she yelled it out. It was a blow that Katie had not been prepared for, and the dreams that plagued her that night were awful. She had imagined Alicia back in her old house while Death Eaters attacked from various angles. Katie could do nothing but watch as Alicia fought her way through them and to the only open window in her estate. She had called to Katie, but Katie ignored her. Much like Alicia had practically ignored her pleas the night before. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

Lee sat on the couch in the sitting room with an old worn out Quidditch book open on his lap. He wasn't reading it. Instead he was staring across at the blank space on the wall with a glazed look on his face. His fingers toyed with the edges of the page, but his eyes never once left that spot on the wall. He too was in a daze over the nights events. He had almost lost his wife to the hands of scumbag Death Eaters. For some reason he wanted to blame George for bringing them into this nightmare. Normally Lee was a cheery sort of fellow, but after watching Katie whimper in their bed for nearly two hours last night he had no smiles left to give. The spot on the wall was the only thing keeping him from opening his mouth and blaming his best friend.

Fred was pacing wildly across the kitchen floor and through the sitting room. Every now and then he'd pause and tap his finger against his chin in thought. Angelina had offered him a smile when he looked up at her, but he went back to his zoned out pacing without returning it. Zombies. They had all turned into walking zombies. And for what? To have Alicia still in that house without her memory. It seemed like a futile effort, and together they sat there waiting for someone to make the first noise. Angelina coughed, and they all turned in her direction with baited breath. When she widened her eyes in surprise and returned to twiddling her thumbs, Lee groaned and went back to staring at the spot on the wall. The door to the back bedroom finally opened revealing a very calm looking George. Out of the lot of them it was expected that George would probably look the most distraught. That wasn't the case. For some reason he looked relaxed, and almost refreshed. His own twin even quirked a brow at George's appearance.

"Good morning." He said a little blandly, but moved across the kitchen towards the coffee pot. There was just enough left for one more mug full, and George grabbed the closest cup and started pouring the black contents. The fresh aroma even brought a brief smile to his face, and Angelina looked over to Fred with a puzzled expression.

Had they missed something last night?

After the entire fiasco they had spoke briefly about what happened in the Estate. George had been there the entire time. Had he heard something out of context when the were discussing the outcome? "Morning." Lee turned his head and watched George sip at the black coffee.

"Awfully good coffee." George held up the mug and flickered his eyes between Katie and Angelina.

When things couldn't get any weirder they did. George moved around the table and grabbed the news paper that someone had brought in from outside. There was nothing about the disturbance at the Warrington estate, and they had figured it was because Esme or Cassius had paid off the people at the Gala. George flipped open the first page and began browsing the columns as though it were any normal day out of the week. The group of them studied each other's expression, and then turned back to the still very calm George. How could he be so cool knowing that Alicia was still with Warrington? How could he be so quiet knowing that their plan had failed? Angelina rose from her seat and moved across to Fred who was staring at his brother.

"You think he's snapped?" She whispered softly in his ear.

Fred shook his head to disagree though couldn't help but wonder if maybe he had. George had loved Alicia with his entire being since their fifth year. When she had 'died' George had thrown himself into a similar mode where he just pretended that everything was all right. It was so eerily close to the way he was behaving now that Fred moved across the kitchen and ripped the paper from George's hands. "Newsflash brother…things didn't go exactly according to plan last night." He arched his eyebrows. "Are you ok? You look…"

"Like your bloody mental." Lee finished from the sitting room. Placing the Quidditch book back on the table, Lee stood and crossed towards Fred and George. "George, mate, are you ok? You've got that weird look in your eye again."

George knew what they were referring to. He had last acted this calm when he thought Alicia had died. On the surface of his emotions he wasn't sure why he was behaving so oddly. When he went to bed the night before he had stared at the ceiling in anguish for almost four hours. He had been furious that things had failed, and he was even more furious that Warrington was going to bed with Alicia again. He hated knowing that there were lies upon lies festering in that house, and once again he had failed protecting her. That was last night. When he awoke this morning he had a new feeling surging inside of him. Something that he wasn't sure about, but nevertheless it had put him in a place where he felt relaxed. "I'm not mental." He stated coolly. "Just clear." He shrugged, and took another sip of the coffee.

A silence crept across the room, and George placed the mug down on the counter. " I want to see Harry." It came out of his mouth so nonchalantly that it even surprised him. Fred ran his hand over his face and let out a disgruntled noise. "What?"

"We come out here to help get back Alicia, and now you tell us you want to go back to London?" Fred let out a noise that sounded a lot like a choke, "Katie nearly gets killed last night and now you just want to walk out of here without Alicia?" Moving his hand, Fred slapped George lightly on the side of the head. "What's going on in there, mate? Just let us in for a second. What's the problem?" He looked over at Angelina who shrugged again.

"He's a selfish prat." Lee shot out quickly, his arms folding across his chest. "That's his problem." By this time Lee's temper had snapped, and he shook his head at George's sudden change in plan. He had wanted to remain calm, but everything that was eating at him from inside only peaked over the edge when George mentioned leaving.

Katie was busy biting her fingernails down to the cuticle. It was a nervous habit that she had never let go of. Multiple times she had tried to shake it, but something huge always came back to eat away at her nerves. The only comfort was ripping off her nails slowly. Katie cocked her head to the side and exchanged a worried look with Angelina. Both girls knew how heated the boys could get in situations like this, and judging by the look in Lee's eyes and the scowl on Fred's face things weren't going well at all. In fact Angelina quickly moved from the stool she was sitting on and stepped between George and Fred.

"This isn't going to help Alicia." She spoke calmly even though her heart was beating madly in her chest. "Last night went wrong…but when has anything ever gone easy for us?"

"Katie almost died last night, Angelina!" Lee shot out and passed a shattering glare at George. "What would have happened if she didn't get out of there in time? How would you be feeling right now if we were planning Katie's funeral?" His usual comforting voice was replaced with anger. "This isn't some school like problem we can just sort out with clever little tricks and plans. This is a serious matter that involves dangerous people….and as much as I hate to be the one to say it…Alicia has been fine for five years. Maybe she is better off just staying there with Warrington." It was the anger getting to him, and he knew it as soon as it left his mouth.

It happened so quickly, but there was a short scream as George watched his fist pull back and slam directly into Lee's face. Katie's shrill yells to stop it were muffled by Fred's booming voice. Lee didn't swing back. On any other occasion he would have gone off on George like a rocket. He knew he was wrong with what he said. Alicia had been like a sister to him, and he suddenly felt ill for dismissing her so quickly. George on the other hand had lost that sense of calm that he had entered the kitchen with. There was a fury in his facial expression, and if Fred hadn't grabbed him by the arm he would have probably continued to work his fists into Lee.

"This needs to stop! We aren't going to get anywhere by fighting!" Katie reached Lee's side and grabbed at his arm. "I don't care what happened last night. I don't care what's going on right now between the two of you…all I know is that it has to stop!" There was a muffled agreement from Angelina.

George wrenched himself out of Fred's grasp and turned towards the kitchen sink. He took a few steps and let the water run until it was icy cold. Bending forward he let the water hit his face and numb the horrid feelings inside of him. Why was everything falling apart so fast? One minute he had been pleased to find Alicia in that museum, and now he was fighting amongst his friends. Pulling away from the running water, George let it drip slowly onto his shirt before turning to speak again. "I still want to go see Harry. If anyone is going to be able to help us, Harry is our best bet. He has a direct in at the Ministry, and we will be able to get a few Aurors out here to help us."

There was an awkward silence that filled again, and George lowered his eyes to the floor. He knew that once they got home they'd have to move quickly if they were going to help her. From what Katie had gathered, Alicia wasn't exactly living in a safe environment. If they could just convince a few of the Aurors to get Warrington's confession they could have Alicia back. He needed Alicia back. Why was everything falling apart in front of him? They were so bloody close, and at the same time everything just kept falling further out of reach.

"I agree with George." Katie piped up quietly from across the way. All eyes turned to face her, and even Lee shot her a surprised look.

"But we came all this way to settle it now." Angelina, who had to admit she agreed with Lee, tossed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "How is going back to London going to solve this now?"

"Look…" Katie marched over to George and raised her head a little higher. She had never been the bright one with the plans. She was just Katie. She was the bait. She was the one good for a laugh. For once she felt like her opinion matter a bit more than everyone else's. "For all we know Esme Warrington is outside this cottage right now waiting for us. She saw me, Angelina, and for Merlin's sake Cassius and Flint saw me too. If they know that we are here it's just a matter of time before we all get killed. George is right…we need to see Harry. He would understand this more than any one else." She shrugged. "Plus don't think it would be easier if we got a little bit more support from home?"

Fred opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it immediately. Katie was right, and they all knew it. If Esme Warrington had enough time she was probably locating the lot of them as they stood there and argued. How stupid were they? He hated leaving Alicia at that estate with a group of Death Eaters, but perhaps she was safest at the moment being in the dark. It was going to be hard enough getting her out of there with her son when the time finally came. At least if they went back to London and spoke to Harry they'd have a little bit more magic behind them. After all he was the one who stopped the majority of Death Eaters in the past. Whatever information he could supply them with would surely come in handy. Not to mention his sister worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Having her quick mind behind them would do wonders for their current situation.

Fred sighed. "Ginny will help too. She always liked Alicia plus she can get us some inside information." Fred couldn't help but grin as he caught George's thrilled expression.

There was another sigh of defeat, and Angelina, who had also been against leaving, stepped forward. "I hate to think that we are just going to leave this, but…" Her eyes moved towards the front door. "I also hate to think that Esme Warrington is just waiting beyond that door for us. I'm in." At this she turned her eyes towards Lee who had remained very quiet. Even Katie seemed to be studying her husband as though she was seeing something about him for the very first time. "Geez Lee, I've never seen you look so serious." Angelina murmured, but made sure it was loud enough for Lee to overhear.

Lee didn't say much. Instead he just walked across the room and opened up his bedroom door. The lot of them exchanged looks while their friend disappeared, and Katie made to step forward to see what he was doing. There was a shuffling noise, and then a click, and Lee appeared back in the door frame with two brown suitcases suspended in air behind him. There was a defeated look on his face, but all the same a familiar glimmer of humor had appeared back in his eyes. "I packed this morning. I may think this is pointless, but I'm not stupid." He shrugged.

Katie sprinted across the short distance and flung her arms around the taller wizard. "This is going to work for the better. You'll see." She buried her face in his chest, a place where she found her most comfort, and sighed.

George began pointing towards the spare rooms. "We better get moving then. We don't have much time to get out of here and back to the floo network. For all we know Warrington has shut down the system to keep us here. The longer we stand around the more we make ourselves good target practice." His steps were already leading him towards the guest room he was occupying.

Quickly they began dashing around the cottage grabbing anything that was in arms reach. Angelina wasn't even sure if she was packing her own clothes when she closed her trunk and brought it to the sitting room. George and Fred brought two more trunks from the other spare room, and in less time then they had argued about it they were ready to leave. Katie did one last sweep just to be sure that nothing important was left behind, and came back to the room with two thumbs up.

" I'm going to head halfway down the road and be sure that we are in the clear" Fred started towards the door. " Once I send up red sparks that will be the cue to leave."

George suddenly raised his hand. "Um excuse me sir, but how do you expect us to get there? I took a cab car, and so did you lot." He raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. They could always head to town and find a buggy, but the prospect of running into Warrington was still too great.

Fred tapped his finger to his chin. " Good point, brother."

At this point Lee raised his hand. "We can get the buggy from two roads over. It stops there every twenty minutes."

Katie began to raise her hand, but Angelina cut her off. "Why the hell are we acting like we are still in school?"

"Because its fun." Chimed Katie.

"I like the authority." Fred added.

"I actually just had a wicked cramp in my arm." George grinned.

Angelina groaned, and began locomotoring the trunks in front of them. " Fred why don't you get going, and we will stand ready here. Once those sparks go up we will get to the pick up point where you will eventually meet us. Eh?" she turned her head so that she cast a quick look at each of them.

"Just be ready." Fred nodded and opened the door.

"How will we know if you get into trouble?" Katie piped up while he was halfway out the door.

"Well if you don't see sparks go up in the next five or so minutes I'd assume something bad has happened." He laughed at this but Angelina frowned. "No worries, love." With that he was out the door and dashing down the front walk way.

Quiet. The sitting room was deathly quiet besides the hovering trunks behind them. Angelina kept her face glued to the front window waiting for the sparks to fly. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite grasp her mind around what it may be. Ever since she woke this morning there was this funny little nagging in her mind, but she blamed most of it on the stress from the previous evening. "Something isn't right." She mumbled loud enough for them to hear.

"Something hasn't been right for five years, Angelina. Its all finally coming clear..." George pushed one of the trunks away as it repeatedly bumped into his side.

"No...its something else. Something just feels strange about us leaving." She pressed her nose harder against the glass. "It's this weird feeling I keep getting in my stomach. I used to get it back in school right before something wonky would happen. It's come and gone since then, but it's really crazy right now." She placed her hand on her stomach and sighed.

"Maybe we shouldn't leave then." Lee cut in, but was hushed instantly by Katie.

"Sparks." Angelina pointed to the left. " lets go."

* * *

Esme Warrington burst into her son's bedroom with heated fury. She had known that there was something suspicious about the previous evenings episode, and sure enough when the parchment arrived early this morning the name was clear as day. Spinnet. How had they been such fools for the last five years? The blasted girl was sitting right beneath their nose, and they had not been the wiser. It was a rather good thing that William was still asleep when she read the results. She wanted to take care of the problem once and for all. She wanted to watch the life leave the eyes of the pureblood bitch who had managed to sneak into her family. And the boy. Her blood boiled. The boy wasn't even a Warrington. She had sensed the difference present in him, and now it all was perfectly clear. She needed to finish what she had started at the Spinnet household five years ago. Alicia needed to be wiped from existence…Cassius' wife or not.

"Where the hell is she?" She wheeled around on her son, her own flesh and blood, and pointed her wand at his throat.

Cassius was panting and covered in sweat by the time he reached his mother. As he surveyed the room he felt relief seeing that Daphne had made it in time. By now he hoped that they had reached the broom shed, and if was truly lucky he hoped that they had already taken flight. "I don't know, Mother." He spoke through gasps.

Stepping forward she wound back and slapped him hard across the face. "Son or not, I should kill you now." Lowering her wand she began storming around the room "Where have you hidden her? Where is the boy?" she turned over the vanity and cursed.

Cassius stepped aside as his mother proceeded to search the room. He was glad to see that Daphne had concealed the door with the wardrobe. There was a panicked moment where he thought she would just take Alicia and bolt down the passage way. She must have been thinking things through because there was no trace that the wardrobe had even been moved, and his mother had yet to move something that large. He watched as she continued to turn over smaller objects in the room all while swearing at the top of her lungs. When the desk in the corner of the room fell to its side, Cassius moved his eyes briefly to the wardrobe again. By now they had to be halfway to the drop point. Cassius hoped James was alright, and that Alicia was keeping her composure.

Alicia.

He lowered his eyes to the floor. There was always a sneaking suspicion that this would eventually happen. He just never planned on it happening like this. In his head he had planned out different ways to tell her that everything was built upon a lie. But he loved her. Everything he did was because he actually loved her. He could never bring himself to shatter her world again. It was bad enough he had done that once in the past. Cassius wasn't the most whole hearted wizard, but he did care deeply for her.

"Where is she?" His mother had wheeled back around on him. She was at his side in less than a second. "How could you do this to us, Cassius?" Her voice was low and raspy and Cassius was reminded of a frog. "You have betrayed us...this family!" Her eyes grew dark with fury. "After her family disgraced our family name you bring her here!" Dhe smacked him again. "And for what? She has been an enemy of this house for years. What could you possibly gain by this? How did you do it? There is no reason great enough to defy the Warrington name!"

"But I love her. " This was received by a wail, and a red stream shot from the end of her wand into the wall behind him.

"We killed her family! You said she was dead! You have lied to us all this time! She is the daughter of your father's greatest enemy, and you have brought her into this house under lies for five years." Another crack sounded from across the room as she flicked her wand in anger.

Cassius scoffed. "You will leave her alone, Mother. That was five years ago. Alicia is my wife…she is a Warrington." He knew it was a futile effort, but he had to at least try.

Esme shrieked in manic laughter. "You think it is so simple now boy? She is pureblood...she is on the list. She wont join us, and you know perfectly well what that means." Her eyes shined with glee "And her brat..." Cassius felt his eyes go slightly wide. "The brat is the son of a pureblood traitor. He will be taken care of as well…and you will help us."

Cassius spit at his mothers feet. "No."

She laughed again. "Oh silly boy you constantly forget the family bonds...you will help us. You will or you will be just as traitorous as those we plan to eliminate. You will lose everything Cassius...the business…the money…you will not only lose this phony family you have created, but you will lose your own flesh and blood as well!" She pounded her bony hand against her chest.

Cassius stared blankly at his mother and merely turned to walk away. He knew it would be difficult to defy those involved in the uprising. Especially when he held information like he did. They would force it out of him if it was possible, and if he didn't speak they'd just kill him as well. There were a thousand thoughts rushing through his head, and he wondered if he could possibly convince Alicia to just join the Pureblood cause. If she agreed to join the ranks behind the Zabini's perhaps they would spare her life. Maybe they'd even leave James alone. He took a few steps towards the door. He'd find his way around it. There had to be something he could do to protect her from the pending slaughter of blood traitors.

"Don't turn your back on me, Cassius!" she flicked her wand again.

The crash went off across the room, but it was an unusual sound that reached both their ears. Cassius turned slowly and glanced at the wardrobe. There was a black hole above the wooden furniture. A hole that ran straight into the secret passage he had created. Esme Warrington turned towards the noise and allowed a slow smirk to grace her lips. She knew there was some secret place that they had turned to, and it had been right in front of her the entire time. She lifted her wand to charm the wardrobe. Cassius made to block her charm, but Esme was already shifting the wardrobe to the side. The door to the passage was tightly shut, but it was blasted open before Cassius could even open his mouth.

"So this is how she got out?" Esme strode across the room and moved towards the bedroom door. "William! Bring Paulo here." Esme moved back towards the blasted opening. Cassius stood there motionless. He hoped Daphne had put as much distance between them as she could.

There were heavy footsteps on the staircase, and then two men appeared hovering in the doorway. "She's left with the boy." The words were spoken like venom. "She must have heard us downstairs."

The eldest Warrington turned to look at his son. There was an emptiness in his eyes, and Cassius quickly looked away. If there was one person he hated disappointing more than Alicia it was his father. After all the years of torture the man went through to return home Cassius had gone and fallen in love with his father's greatest enemy. "Father." He nodded his head in respect. "Paulo"

William Warrington stared at his youngest son and merely shook his head. "In our own house...under our own noses... You mock me by your actions, Cassius. You've acted like a child here…and for nothing but a traitorous slag. She has played you well boy."

"I am a grown man! I have just as much say as-"

"Silence." William stalked around his son and paced once in front of the passage door. He turned back to Cassius. "We will go down this together, and then you will finish what you started five years ago." William gestured for Paulo and Esme to move down the passage.

"I will not." He took his wand and raised it threateningly.

William smirked. He knew how to work his son. He was a child after his own heart, and despite the cold hatred that coursed through their veins they had weak spots. "You will…or I will kill the boy as well." He played his son like a fiddle.

"What?" Esme paused in her steps and turned to her husband. "He should be killed as well, William. There should be no bribery necessary. The boy is nothing but pureblood filth." Her scratchy voice was becoming even more irritated and breathless." He has betrayed us " she pointed at Cassius, " and now he will pay for his actions."

William cast a sideways look at Paulo who nodded his head in approval. It was good that William and Paulo constantly lived on the same mind set. "The boy has done nothing wrong here, Esme." He shifted his glance to his son. "We can raise him to be a great follower of our cause. We can mold him...once his traitorous mother is killed." He suppressed a low chuckle.

Cassius felt sick to his stomach. Kill Alicia to save James? The boy was not even his own son, and yet he cared for the boy as if he was his own. James knew nothing but the love of Cassius. He could be a better father than that red headed pauper. He reached up and let his hand run slowly down the front of his face. How could he fix this? He had time now of course to create plans with Marcus, but they'd find her soon. He had sent her to the lions den without even realizing it. He cursed under his breath.

"After you, son" William smiled his malicious smile again.

Cassius, his fingers wrapped tight around his wand, began the trek into the passage. He hoped they had gone. If they were still there he wasn't sure who would come out dead in the end. Suddenly worried Cassius broke out into a sprint and began heading down the long dark corridor. The sudden yells behind him only caused him to quicken his pace, and he turned slight right as the passage shifted. Glancing over his shoulder, his black hair whipping against his face, Cassius saw the three figures a good twenty feet behind him. It was a good thing they were slower. It allowed him just enough time to do what he had intended from the start.

Up ahead he caught sight of the door, and silently hoped that he wouldn't find them there. He had less than a second to react. Pushing the door open Cassius ran into the empty shed and breathed out a sigh of relief. They had made it. The brooms from the corner of the shed were gone, and the door was still cracked slightly. If they had just left he hoped Daphne pressed for speed. There was little time to waste now. "The Leaky Cauldron...London England." Closing his eyes he saw a brief glimpse of his father before feeling the familiar apparation tug.

Angelina dropped her hands against her sides and let out an exhausted yell. "A full day! I can't believe you made us detour to Ireland first." She threw a glare back at Fred. Her back was killing her, and she leaned slightly to the side to crack it.

" I was just being cautious." He grinned. "Would you have rather battled the Warrington brood and their death eater minions?" He threw an arm around Angelina's shoulders. He faintly heard her mumble a 'no' and he grinned again. "Thought not."

Lee, who had been in front of them all, stopped suddenly in front of the shop. He furrowed his brow and then glanced back at Fred. "Did you tell Verity to open the shop while we were away?" he looked back through the front window, and then towards Fred again.

George shot a look at Fred. "You said you closed." He too was now staring through the window at Verity. She was sitting at the front desk reading the Prophet. It didn't seem like there was anyone in the shop, but it was strange that she had decided to sit at the front desk without much to do. It wasn't like there was any paper work that needed to be filled out. George knew that before he had even left Angelina had filed most of the paper work away for the coming season.

"It still says closed." Fred pointed to the sign on the door that read 'closed'. "Maybe she just wanted to get out of her flat for awhile." He shrugged, and then slipped his key into the front door. There was a soft click, and Fred pushed the door open with his shoulder while his other hand turned the knob on the door.

Verity Evergreen brought her nose out of the Daily Prophet with a very confused look on her face. As they entered the room she folded close the paper and moved around from behind the desk. Her hair was a bit messy which was unusual for Verity, but nonetheless she still retained that glowing smile on her face. "I thought you weren't due back for a couple of days?" She scratched the side of her face, and pushed aside a box of jellybeans on the counter. With a hoist she pushed herself up on the counter and folded her hands into her lap. "You all look terrible." Her voice was low and concerned, but she didn't bother to move from the desk to help them.

"Verity," Fred began very quietly, "I thought we made it clear that the shop was going to stay closed for the time we were away." He pointed to a few empty containers of chocolate that usually were piled high in front of the check out area. He knew specifically that he had filled those trays before they left so he wouldn't have to do it when they got home. Now they were completely barren except for the one lone chocolate frog wrapper that sat in the bin.

Verity quirked her eyebrow at his accusation. "I did keep the shop closed." She turned to Angelina. "He get too much sun while you all were away? Oh! Hi Georgie." She waved airily at George who somehow managed to end up at the back of the group. "It's good to have you all back. I mean things were getting sort of dull around here." She rolled her eyes and then scooted from her seat upon the desk.

"Yeah well that generally happens when a shop is supposed to remain closed." Fred said again, this time actually pointing to the empty containers of chocolate.

Katie and Angelina exchanged worried looks. Had Verity been stealing from them and trying to play it off as though she had nothing to do with the missing candy? Angelina cleared her throat uncomfortably and turned her back on the situation. She began fidgeting with Katie's hair letting her fingers begin braiding a small portion. There was an awkward tension in the room, and Verity stared at all of them rather puzzled about the whole thing.

"What?" She looked down at the missing chocolate and shrugged. "There's money in the till for them." She moved around the desk and pulled out a couple of knuts. "I didn't refill them because they were just taken." Again she rolled her eyes as though they all should have realized this before flinging accusations. "You all are acting so wonky today." Flinging her hair over her shoulder, Verity sighed.

Lee arched an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you mean they were just taken? I thought you said you didn't open the shop while we were away." Again there was a very frustrated look on all their faces, and Verity threw her hands up in the air defeated. "Did you take them?" He looked from the chocolate box to Verity.

"No I did not!" She placed her hands on her hips. " You very well know I can't eat chocolate! I'm allergic."

Fred slapped his hand against his forehead. "Then…" He took a deep breath. " how did the chocolate disappear? If you didn't open the shop…and you didn't eat them yourself?" For the love of sweet Merlin he just wanted her to answer the question so they could all just go upstairs and owl Ginny and Harry.

"Oh." She said quietly as though it suddenly dawned on her what they wanted the whole time. "Your cousin asked if her nephew could have some."

"Cousin?" Angelina stepped away from Katie and approached Verity. "Verity… please… for the love of Merlin just explain to us what the hell you are talking about. Fred and George don't have cousins with nephews. In fact the only cousins they have live in Scotland, and I'm pretty sure a bunch of sixteen year olds don't have nephews."

Verity looked puzzled again and glanced up towards the staircase leading to the flat. "But she said she was your cousin when she came to my place." Realizing that she still wasn't making any sense to them she let her hands drop to her sides and frowned. "This blonde girl, said her name was Anna, she came to my flat and told me that you were expecting her at your place. I told her you were out of town for a couple of days so she asked if she could possibly just stay at your flat because you had promised her a room to stay in while she passed through. She had her friend with her…and the kid. They knew all about you two so I figured she was telling the truth. I let them in this morning and just decided to stick around and clean the shop for awhile. I didn't know-"

George wasn't sure what Verity had continued saying as he bolted up the stairs towards the flat. There were pounding footsteps behind him, and he heard Angelina say something along the lines of 'no bloody way'. His heart hammered madly in his chest, and he reached for the doorknob just out in front of him. He paused causing the lot of them to crash into each other. "It's open." Sure enough there was a crack apparent in the door, and George removed his wand just to be cautious. Pushing the door open slowly it creaked, and he looked over his shoulder at Fred. "You were supposed to fix that." Fred grinned sheepishly, and they all moved quietly into the flat.

It was quiet in the entrance way, and he let his eyes flicker side to side to catch a glance of the intruders. There were many things going off inside his head, but he kept himself from getting too worked up. What were the chances that their problems would follow them back to the flat? It seemed too out of place, but he whipped his wand out in front of him as he turned the corner to the sitting room.

A blonde head was sitting comfortably in his favorite plush chair, her feet propped up on the coffee table. Her head was cocked slightly to the side and the heavy breathing was a clear indication that she was sleeping. George took a step forward as quietly as possible, but that was pointless as Katie tripped over something on the floor creating a loud crash behind him. The blonde girl sat up rigid in her seat, and kept staring out straight in front of her. She didn't move at first, and George took another step forward his wand at the ready. Before she started to turn towards him a nauseous feeling overtook him and he let his wand drop suddenly to the ground. The side of her face was coming into clear view, and even behind him he heard Fred mumble 'Blimey'.

Daphne stood up from the chair, her face stricken with horror. They were supposed to be in Austria. What were they doing back so soon? She was supposed to have at least two days of hiding time. Her eyes moved frantically towards the room to her right. Had she heard the noise that went off in the sitting room.

"Bell." Daphne narrowed her eyes at Katie who had been the one responsible for the crash.

"Greengrass." Angelina spat out in a rather venomous tone, getting in front of Katie to block anything Daphne may throw at her.

"Johnson." Daphne stated back firmly.

"Daphne?" The door to the room on the right had opened, and a bleary eyed Alicia was standing in it's frame.

"Alicia?" Lee choked out, his voice hitching somewhere in the back of his throat.

"George?" Alicia looked between George and Fred completely thrown off.

Daphne started to back away, and Fred raised his wand. "Greengrass." He said

threateningly.

"Fred!" Angelina lifted her hand and swatted the wand from his grip. A boy's head appeared behind Alicia.

"Mr. George!" The small boy ran from behind Alicia and found his way to George's pant leg. His mouth was covered in chocolate, a grin wildly plastered to his face. There was no confusion between Fred and George for the young boy.

"James?" George looked down at the young wizard, and then dumbfounded back at Alicia.

"Crying lady!" James pointed at Katie who was still busy straightening herself up from her fall.

"Daphne?" Alicia, her face contorted in an odd fashion looked from the group of them back to Daphne.

"Alicia." Daphne held out her hand to keep her friend from flipping out.

Alicia's eyes moved back and forth from the girl who had crashed her anniversary party to the girl from her dream. The girl who she had called Angelina.

"Angelina?" She let roll off her tongue which caused the black girl to bring her hand immediately to her mouth.

"Lee!" Katie screamed as Alicia began to fall backwards, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Lee who was closest to their old friend jumped out and prevented her from hitting the ground.

Alicia's body was sprawled in Lee's arms, and the lot of them exchanged worried looks. Lee quickly rushed over to the couch and placed her gently down upon it. Katie had dashed off to get a cool rag, while George and Fred shot daggers at Daphne. There was a small cough again, and all eyes in the room turned down towards the little boy who was still tugging at George's pant leg.

"Mr. George." He held up his pudgy little hand which contained an old photo of Alicia, Katie, Angelina, Fred and himself after a Quidditch game. It had been the game they won back in their fifth year. Harry and Oliver had opted out of the photo since they felt like they were intruding on certain territory. If you looked closely at the picture you could see a few strands of dreadlocks in the far corner of the shot. Lee had just missed out on the photo opportunity. "Whys my Mum in these funny clothes with you…and them." He pointed towards Angelina and Fred.

George looked up at Daphne who had her face buried within her own hands. "You like stories, James?" He bent down so the young boy was level with him. Katie who had returned with the rag gasped as she saw the sight, and quickly left the room without bothering to leave the rag.

"Yes." He gave a toothy grin.

"Well I think your Aunt Daphne here has a fantastic one to tell you." He turned his head slightly to the side and glared at Daphne. It was going to be a very long evening.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to get this up. After school got out I went on a relaxing vacation to Ireland, but now I have returned. Without further interruption I give you Chapter 11!!! Remember to review please!!!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

There was a loud pop, and Cassius found himself standing in the middle of Marcus Flint's estate. It was quiet, almost too quiet for the frantic wizard, and he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Marcus!" Cassius hoped his friend had yet to go to work for the morning. He knew that he had little time before his mother thought to check the house of his best friend. Running towards the kitchen he cursed as an empty coffee mug sat on the counter. "Shit." His hands flew up to his head and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. If only he had thought of apparating out of there earlier. Doing so would have guaranteed him time to speak with Marcus and figure out what their next option was. Not to mention Daphne was with Alicia.

Another pop sounded to his right, and Cassius jumped a good foot in the air. A small decrepit looking house-elf stared up at him with big brown orbed eyes. "Master Flint heard you. Said to come down and tell you he's upstairs." Cassius heard him ask if he'd like some tea, but he was already halfway up the staircase. His legs burned from his dashing, but he had little time to play around. His foot connected slightly with the top step, and Cassius stumbled forward into the wall across from the staircase. His head hit the pale yellow wall with a thud, and he cursed as he turned down the corridor towards Marcus' office.

His hand had barely touched the doorknob before it swung open revealing a frazzled looking Flint and a disheveled Adrian Pucey. "You've heard I take it." He was breathless, and certain that there was a good sized snitch present where his forehead collided with the wall.

Marcus lifted his wand from his side and flicked the door shut. "Daphne owled me fifteen minutes ago. They reached the portkey, and without any obstacles they should have reached the point by now." His mouth was pressed in a thin stern line. "Though according to Pucey you should have been a bit more selective." He raised his eyebrow and looked over at the tall skinny body of Pucey.

Cassius dropped his eyes to the floor. He knew that it was risky sending Alicia to the Weasley shop, but with the lot of them still here in Austria he couldn't think of a better place. Why was Pucey telling Marcus otherwise? "What? They have a good week before anyone from the Zabini family realizes where they are."

Pucey cleared his throat. "They flooed home this afternoon."

Cassius stared across at Pucey with a dumbfounded expression. "Come again." He looked at Marcus who had his hands in his pockets. "What do you mean they flooed home?"

Marcus leaned across his desk and grabbed a long piece of parchment. Cassius could see something scrawled along the margins, but was blinded by the scribble in red. Marcus held out the yellowing parchment and waited for Cassius to take it. "It came in this morning. Pucey got one too and flooed here. That's when he saw them leaving."

Cassius let his eyes scan over the words while he remained silent. A strong taste of bile rose in his throat at the sight of the words. There in large red letters were the names of blood traitors the Zabini's had put on their list. Alicia's name was third from the top. Yet the thing that confused him most was the dull black scrawl of James' name. It wasn't placed under the blood traitor list as both his mother and father. Instead it was on the potential death eater list. The list comprised only of those who were questionable, or persuadable, in loyalty. Marcus understood his confused features and pointed to the list.

"He's there because the Zabini's and your parents feel that they still have enough time to mold him. They want to nix Alicia and take James as their own. Your psychotic mother thinks he has potential to be an even greater Dark Lord than Zabini...though she has only mentioned that to me." Marcus shook his head. "Look further down the list."

Pucey had begun rummaging through papers on the desk while Cassius went over the parchment again. There amongst the bottom of the list was a name he had expected to be there. Weasley. Realization suddenly hit, and Cassius crumbled the parchment and tossed it to the ground. He had sent Alicia to London to avoid problems with the Weasleys. Now they were heading home, names were on the list, and Cassius felt helpless for the first time in his life.

"I have been asked to attend a meeting to join." Pucey suddenly cut through his thoughts.

Cassius cocked his head to the side in mild interest. "And what do you plan to do? Side with them to avoid death?" Cassius' words were harsh and he quickly muttered an apology.

Pucey on the hand merely shrugged. "It's not the only job I've been offered." Reaching for his wand he cast a silencing charm on the room. " I was approached by Nymphadora Tonks while at the Ministry yesterday. She said she could provide me with protection if I joined the ranks of the Order. Apparently they are forming again. They need someone who will be able to obtain inside information, and she knows well of my hesitation to join with the DeathEaters."

Cassius stifled a laugh. " You in the Order. What do you make yourself then...the new Snape? You do remember that Snape was killed for his treachery. " But it was Pucey's serious look that got Cassius' interest. "You are actually thinking of doing it then?"

"There are other things I value more than complying with the Pucey tradition." He licked her lower lip and reached into his pocket. "I've been seeing a girl for a couple of months now...she's a muggle. Don't look at me like that Flint." Pucey turned his back on them. "Things have changed since the fall of the Dark Lord, and my priorities, no matter how small, now include Annaliese."

Cassius shifted awkwardly. He had at least married a pureblood no matter how much of a blood traitor she was. Pucey was going far off from that realm, and still he had a look that proved how serious he was about the situation. Why had he kept his muggle girlfriend from them? Cassius pushed back that thought. He had done it for reasons such as this. As much as they were friends with Pucey, he must have known that they'd be critical. Unfortunately now his actions were placing them in a very difficult situation.

"If you take this position it jeopardizes all of us." He indicated towards himself and Marcus. " they will want to know what the truth is behind Spinnet. Are you prepared to work against your friends?" Cassius gave him the ultimatum. "Because if that is the case, Pucey, you can count our loyalty to you out."

Pucey shook his head with a look of disappointment on his face. "You baffle me sometimes, Cassius. Do you think I'd do such a thing. I'm not stupid. I'll be keeping my presence in the Order to a minimum." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "if anything… I see this as a way of information for you as well. I shall be able to keep you informed on Order actions as well as the Zabini's"

Cassius mulled this over for a brief second before dropping his head into a nod. " I suppose it could come in useful. Though you must be sure to keep your mind closed at all times. There is no way of telling who is a skilled legilimens on either side." His hand reached out and offered a soft pat to Pucey's shoulder.

" I will be seeing Nymphadora this afternoon. If I were you I'd pick up your pace on what to do with your wife. I wouldn't be surprised if the Weasley's immediately turn to the Order for assistance. " Pucey began pulling on a light gray cloak that rested over the back of Marcus' leather chair.

"I took the liberty of owling Daphne. I hope she receives the information before they arrive back at the flat." He began moving towards the office door with Pucey. "Adrien...you do know you have my support with your decisions. If you need anything in the next few days let me know. I will be speaking with you soon as I'm sure Cassius will be." Cassius nodded, and Marcus opened the door.

"Be swift with your actions, mate." Pucey inclined towards Cassius. "You know the Zabini's aren't ones to follow through with things slowly." He nodded, and then moved through the door where he disappeared down the staircase.

Cassius waited till he was gone before speaking. " Pucey with a muggle...unreal." He turned his eyes back to Flint.

"You married a bloodtraitor." Marcus stated sternly.

"At least she is of pureblood." Cassius cursed under his breath.

Marcus sighed and moved back to his desk. "There are greater things to worry about now then the blood status of your wife and Pucey's lover." He cleared his throat. " you need to head to London and fix Alicia. I know it may seem outlandish to do so, but her safety is now at risk. The more she remembers about her past the more capable she will be to protect herself."

Cassius looked appalled. " I can protect her. I can save her."

"And you honestly believe that the lot of those do-gooders are going to let her remain without memory? Cassius think about it..." He began pleading with his friend. " if you do this for her she may find it in her heart to stay with you . She loved you once in the past. Who is to say the truth won't intensify that love? You have to let go of that charm, Cassius. You need to do it now so she understands what the hell is going on."

As much as he hated to admit it, Cassius knew it was right. He just despised the notion that his marriage to Alicia, the one thing he had ever truly cared for, could be lost once he lifted the charm. "I don't have much time." He hissed, his eyes flickering towards the door wondering where his mother could be. "I'm going to go on to London, but I need you to send immediate owl if you learn they have figured she is not in Austria anymore. I'll send Daphne back once I can be sure its safe. "

Marcus nodded, and began writing something down on a scrap piece of parchment. " you may need this once you lift the charm. It's an intense brew for a calming draught. The one below it is something more mild for James...and..." He pointed to the bottom of the parchment. " A few people may need a bit of convincing regarding the paternity. This will prove it...to Alicia especially."

Cassius took the parchment in his hand and folded it over once. If he was going to tell Alicia anything he would need this. For once Marcus had a good idea." Do you want me to send Daphne back once I get there?" he placed the parchment in his front pocket.

"No. I think Alicia is going to feel very awkward once she remembers everything and between that Bell girl and Daphne they should be able to keep her calm. Plus Johnson will probably be there too. She's going to need them because she will probably be furious with you." He saw the look of disappointment linger in his eye. "You had to have known it would be like that at first, Cassius. Alicia was a lot of things back then, but forgiving wasn't one of them. Its going to be hard for her."

Cassius nodded mutely, and turned gracefully on his heel. "Do me a favor and keep an eye out for what my Mother is doing. I doubt she will sit on this long, and by the looks of it she has a lot more control in the outcome of things then the Zabini's. " he opened the door of the office and stepped out into the corridor.

There outside its solid oak trembling madly was the house-elf with a pot of tea. "Yipal thought you may want tea, he did. You ran so quickly..." The green little creature held up the tray, his deep orbed eyes full of fear.

"Move." Cassius pushed by the thing knocking the tray over. The contents spilled to the floor, and the little house-elf gave a yelp and disapparated.

"You could have just walked by him." Marcus shook his head as Cassius strode down the corridor towards the stairs. His wand was out cleaning the spilled tea, but Cassius didn't bother to turn around.

He waved briefly over his shoulder and reached the front entrance. Outside the sun hit him like a warm blanket, and he cursed under his breath. In a moment of such beauty he was about to do the unthinkable. Promises never seemed to be kept between himself and Alicia. He had promised her he would keep her safe, but he had failed time and time again. Perhaps he wasn't any better then Weasley. The thought caused a sneer to rise to his face. Comparing himself to that redheaded git made him sick.

Closing his eyes he thought hard about his destination and felt the hard pull from behind his belly button. The Flint estate disappeared beneath his feet, and he began his journey to a destination he had sworn he'd never return to.

* * *

"I owled Ginny so hopefully she gets here soon." Fred reentered the sitting room where Daphne was sitting with James.

George clicked his tongue. "Ginny isn't going to like this much. She was never really fond of Alicia after the stunt she pulled in school." He shrugged, and glanced between both Fred and Daphne.

After Alicia had split with George for Warrington Ginny swore that she'd never forgive her for hurting him. Even after George explained the situation after he learned the truth Ginny still couldn't stop from grumbling under her breath every time they were around each other. What made it worse was when Ginny was chosen to replace Harry during their Quidditch season. George was almost certain that Ginny would murder Alicia mid air. Somehow towards the end of term after Ginny returned to the school after the Ministry fiasco she had grown softer towards Alicia. George never really questioned Ginny's feelings towards his former girlfriend, but now wasn't the time to do so. Alicia, back from the dead, was about to face his youngest sibling.

Alicia had been placed in George's bedroom for the time being. No one wanted to wake her at the moment, and decided it was better to wait until she was fully capable of holding conversation again before telling her the truth. Daphne had tried to plead with them not to do it, but it became a failed attempt as they sat her down with James and told her to keep her mouth shut. She didn't know what they wanted her to do. She couldn't lift the charm off Alicia, and she was positive she wouldn't believe the lot of them if they just let out the truth.

"Can I please owl Cassius." She finally spoke from the couch. James shifted beside her; his eyes wide at the mention of his father's name.

"We are gonna owl, Father?" he looked over at George who was bringing in a tray of drinks.

George shook his head slowly, and placed the tray down on the table. Lee had gone to check on Alicia, and Fred and Angelina were sitting quietly on the free loveseat. Katie for some odd reason had kept herself hidden in the kitchen. Every time the poor girl got a glimpse of James she burst out into tears. "Not right now, mate." He handed a mug over to the young boy. "We have to talk to your Aunt Daphne first."

Daphne stifled a cry. "Please not now. Not in front of ..." Her eyes flickered towards James.

Angelina scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. "You think lying longer to him will stop this, Greengrass?" she looked over at James. " the truth is going to come out anyway so why not let him hear it."

There was a click from the bedroom door and Lee emerged with a serious look. "She's still asleep. Hasn't moved at all." He shrugged. "Katie still in the kitchen then?" the nod from Fred confirmed his suspicion.

There was a silent settlement in the room, and George cleared his throat. James who was still sipping from his mug slipped from his seat beside Daphne and moved across to George. "Can I go see my Mum?" his tiny little features perked up with interest. "Ill be real quiet. I promise." He crossed his heart with his index finger.

Angelina rose from her seat and offered her hand to the boy. "Come on." As much as she wanted to hear what was going to be said she knew the innocence of James was more important. In the long run it was probably better for him to miss out on the first moments of Alicia's memory lift. It would be hard enough to explain to James that his mother had been tricked by his father all those years ago.

George waited until they slipped into the bedroom before turning to Daphne. "You know you can be spending up to ten years in Azkaban for this." He pursed his lips together. "Come clean and we can speak to some people to lower that sentence."

Daphne choked back another cry. " you don't understand. This has nothing to do with Cassius kidnapping Alicia. He didn't do these things to hurt her." She clasped her hands together and placed them tightly between her knees. "Cassius was only helping her. He saved her. You have no idea what would have happened if he didn't do this. The Warrington's are ruthless. You are only making this worse…she needs to be taken back to Cassius before they track her down. They'll find her." She knew it wouldn't take long for the Death Eaters to locate someone as wanted as Alicia was at the moment.

"Right." George said with a biting tone.

"He loves her." Growing desperate she looked towards the door. With any luck she could make a dash for the door and disapparate. The only problem would be leaving Alicia and James. She just couldn't do it. "If you do it...tell her without him...it will only hurt her more! Think about James! Think about their safety for a moment! "

There was a noise from the kitchen, and Katie appeared from behind one of the walls. "Sorry. I just..." She shrugged and then disappeared back behind the wall and into the kitchen.

"She's been weird ever since we got back." Lee quirked a brow.

George ran his hand over his face. "What happened the night her parents were killed?"

Daphne remained quiet.

"What happened to her memory?"

Quiet.

"Can we fix her?"

Quiet.

"Will you answer me for Merlin's sake!"

There was a heavy knock at the front door, and George, rather miffed, rose from his seat. Daphne on the other hand looked stricken white. "They found us." She murmured under her breath. Quickly she threw her face into her hands. She hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye to Marcus. "I told you they would. Death Eaters…" She grabbed for her pocket, but soon realized that Angelina had taken her wand earlier.

"Do you really think Death Eaters would knock on the door to announce their arrival?" Fred looked at Daphne with a puzzled expression. "Even you can't be that daft Greengrass." He rose from the seat and proceeded to move across the room towards George.

The knock sounded again, and George reached for the doorknob. Pulling back the brass handle he stepped aside as a fiery little redhead stepped across the doorframe and into the flat. Ginny was as Molly-like as ever as he arms instantly folded across her chest. There was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes, but it was masked over by dark lids evident that she had been working rather hard as of lately. George opened his arms and took his sister into a very tight hug. She hadn't grown much since the last time they saw her, and if anything her tiny frame had become even tinier. "Do you eat anymore?" He asked her, pushing back and taking in his sister's presence.

Ginny tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears, and shrugged. "Been real busy lately." Her goofy grin grew wider and she stepped past George and made her way to Fred. "You two look horrible." She hugged her other brother and then removed the owl from her pocket. "Plus this letter you sent me barely made sense." She chuckled and shoved it back into her pocket. "Harry couldn't make it right now. We've been real busy making rounds at Azkaban today and he had to head back to the department for paperwork. He said he'd come by when he was finished."

"Rounds?" Lee asked as he placed a small kiss on Ginny's cheek.

"Mmhmm." She began removing her cloak. "We've been tipped off that some Death Eaters have been reforming. We've been asked to make weekly rounds in Azkaban to see if we can get any information." At this she let out a loud laugh.

"What's so funny." Fred quirked an eyebrow.

"You have no idea how great it is standing outside Malfoy's cell and taunting him. Today I walked back and forth by him for fifteen minutes straight just to get a rise out of him." Her hand moved to her chest and she took a breath. "Sometimes on a real slow day Harry and I have lunch right outside his cell. We just set up a bench against the opposite wall and stare at him while we eat. So bloody…." He voice trailed off as she stepped into the sitting room and took in the display. "Look the day was long…but not that long." She glanced at Daphne and then back at the twins. "What is she doing here?" Her wand was already out of her pocket and pointing towards Daphne.

Daphne squeaked and threw her face back into her hands. George on the other hand moved Ginny into the room and sat her down in the plush armchair. "Look there are a lot of things that you might not understand right now. It's sort of a long story, but if you have a bit of time we can explain it…" The was a shuffle behind him, and the entire lot turned around to see the bedroom door slightly open.

Ginny's eyes narrowed at the small boy, and then at the figure standing behind him. For a second she just sat there in silence absorbing the entire scene. "How is it possible?" Her eyes softened when she looked down to see the confused boy. Pushing up from the chair she stepped across the way and crouched down in front of him. "Hi. I'm Ginny." She smiled and held out her hand for him to shake. He did so rather quickly and smiled warmly at her.

"I'm James. This is my Mum." He pointed towards Alicia who was standing behind him. Breathless again, Ginny rose and stared across at Alicia. She hadn't been the greatest friends with the girl. The incident between George and her had swayed Ginny's opinion while they were still in school. For awhile she went as far as despising the girl because of her selfish attitude back then. Still something about Alicia had always been loving and welcoming, and George had never gotten over her death. Now there she was standing across from her. Plus she had a son. How had the Ministry looked over this false death? Her file had been so carefully scanned when she passed. She had been sure to do it herself considering George's emotional state. "I don't…" She looked at George, and then back at Alicia. "Alicia?"

Alicia blinked, and stared back at the girl. She looked vaguely familiar, more along the lines of George, and she cast a sideways glance at the redheaded man. Why was everyone staring at her again? Why was the room spinning? Everything seemed to be crashing down around her, and she gulped for a breath of air. "I'm sorry…I don't-" She pointed to her head. The girl called Angelina had told her to come out into the sitting room so they could all talk about what was going on. She had contemplated lying down a bit longer, but James seemed worried, and in truth she needed to know why the people around her seemed so familiar. Now she wondered if it was the right choice at all. Perhaps it would have been better if she continued to sleep. At least in her dreams everything seemed to be normal and right. "Daphne?" She looked over towards her friend who looked terribly white. "Can someone please explain to me what is going on?"

Daphne shook her head violently knowing very well the consequences of lifting the charm. George on the other hand offered Alicia a seat in the arm chair, and James crawled into her lap without a word.

Ginny brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, and turned towards George. "I know I don't have time to get the whole story, but I need some serious answers now, George. The Ministry files all claim her as dead, and Greengrass over there has been suspected as an accomplice to her murder for years. If I don't take her in now I'm going to-"

Pulling Ginny by the arm, George leaned into her ear. "She's been married to Cassius Warrington for five years." Ginny gasped. "He placed some sort of memory modification charm on her, and she doesn't recall any of us. She doesn't know a thing. Daphne needs to be here so we can lift it off of her." He watched Ginny glance towards Alicia and then towards Daphne.

"Why can't we just bring her to Mungos? Don't you think that would be wiser?" Her fingers twirled her wand in her right hand.

"Probably, but we can not chance the Warrington family finding out where she is. Apparently Greengrass brought her here because we were all away. If no one knows she is here then that's the way its going to remain." He waited until Ginny nodded, and then moved away and back towards the middle of the sitting room.

"Alicia…" He removed his wand turning to quiet Daphne when she shouted her complaints. " Alicia the reason everything seems so hazy to you is because you have been placed under a memory charm for the last few years. We are going to try and lift it off of you, but you need to trust me before we do anything. My sister here" Ginny nodded, " is from the Ministry. She will not let anything happen to you. You can trust all of us here in this room."

Alicia stared back into his eyes for a long quiet moment. There was something so comforting about the way he spoke, but she was still unsure of the unfolding situation. It was when James placed his hand in hers that she gave a curt nod. If this was one way of finding out the truth then she would allow them to try and lift whatever had been placed down upon her. "All right." Her voice was weak, but she flashed a reassuring smile to James. "You go sit with Aunt Daphne, baby." James slid down off her lap and moved across the way to sit with Daphne. The young blonde embraced him immediately, and Alicia found herself closing her eyes. "I'm ready."

George gave Ginny a small gesture and both moved forward towards her. Together the leaned down over her, and Ginny, a bit hesitant, placed her wand against Alicia's temple. "_Fidelis_" Her voice was firm, and she dipped her wand slightly to the left in order to reverse the memory lock that had been placed upon her.

It happened so suddenly that George didn't know how to react. There was a glazed expression that traced over Alicia's eyes before she started wailing at the top of her lungs. There was a scream of terror from behind them, and James began crying while trying to pry his way out of Daphne's grasp. "Ginny what the hell…" He reached out to grab Alicia by the arms, but her flailing was so intense he couldn't get a decent grasp on her. The screams increased, and James continued to scream for his mother.

There was a frantic look in the eyes of each of them, and Ginny hurriedly began rummaging through her pocket for a small manual. "I don't know which one to try." She flipped the page of the small Ministry manual and howled in frustration as Alicia continued to yell. "This manual helps with every other bloody problem! I need a Plouzing Stone. I need it now!" She shot Katie a look who had appeared in the doorframe, and the girl ran back into the kitchen followed by Fred.

Alicia's howls continued to increase, and James finally pulled away from Daphne. "You liar! You lied! You hurt my Mum! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you Mr. George!" His tiny fists pounded against Georges leg, and he leaned over to pick the boy up. In a fit of hysterics James kicked at George's shin and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Do something." He gestured at Daphne who was staring between Alicia and James with wide eyed concern.

Daphne slipped from the couch and scooped James up into her arms. "I think you should do something instead of just standing there allowing her to scream like that. She's going to draw attention from the streets." Daphne pointed towards the windows across the way.

"Here! Here!" Katie came running back in and handed the stone over to Ginny.

"Hold her down." Ginny flipped the pages again and pointed her wand at Alicia's chest. With her other hand on the stone Ginny placed it against Alicia's forehead and mumbled the reverse charm once again. There was another glazed expression that washed over Alicia's features, and Ginny pressed the stone harder into her forehead. As suddenly as it had happened the noise seemed to cease. Alicia's eyes shut and her body slipped into the plush armchair.

George's eyes shifted between Ginny and Alicia. "What happened to her? Is she alright? Should we take her to Mungos?" He dropped down to his knees in front of her and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. James' screaming continued behind him, and he heard Daphne's attempt to quiet him. "Damn Ginny talk to me." He looked up at his sister who had masked her worried expression with a ice cold stoney one.

Everyone's gaze had turned toward the front door to the flat, and George felt his anger surge at the sight in the doorway. "Get out of my flat." His voice was flat, and when he glanced around the room again there were five wands plus his own pointing at the door.

Cassius smirked. "Go ahead and hex me Weasley. I'll just let you figure out the reverse charm on Alicia without my help." He shrugged, and without breaking his smirk folded his arms across his chest and leaned casually in the doorframe.


End file.
